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ENCHANTING 

AND 

ENCHANTED 


FROM  THE  GERMAN  OF  HACKLANDER. 


BY 

MRS.   A.   L.  WISTER, 

TRANSLATOR  OF  "THE  OLD  MAM'sELLe's  SECRET,"  "GOLD   ELSIE,"    '  ONLT 
A  GIRL,"  ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO. 
1879. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO., 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  V  >shington. 


/Z.8R 


CONTENTS. 


PAGB 

The  Elfin  Tree  5 

The  Dwarfs'  Nest  54 

The  Princess  Morgana   85 

Castle  Silence   .  145 

The  Fairy  Tankard   181 


(iii) 


FAIRY  SPELLS. 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 

When,  in  winter,  the  boughs  of  the  trees  are  bend- 
ing under  their  weight  of  snow,  and  the  rude  north  wind 
whistles  through  the  streets,  when  the  days  grow  shorter, 
and  the  evenings  longer  and  longer,  the  children  ask 
each  other,  ' '  How  many  Sundays  will  there  be  before 
Christmas?"  And  first,  there  are  four,  then  three,  then 
two,  and  at  last  only  one,  and  then  another  reckoning 
begins,  and  the  children  count  up  how  many  times  they 
must  go  to  bed  and  get  up  again  before  Christmas  ever 
comes.  This  is  the  way  with  all  children,  rich  and 
poor ;  for  even  if  there  is  no  Christmas-tree  for  the  lat- 
ter, and  though  they  may  receive  no  rich  gifts,  they 
rejoice  in  the  splendour  of  the  brilliant  lights  which 
shine  through  the  windows  everywhere,  and  delight  in 
the  little  gift,  be  it  ever  so  small,  which  their  poor 
parents  have  provided  for  them.  But  this  evening  is  a 
sad  one  for  the  poor  child  who  has  neither  parents  nor 
relatives,  but,  living  upon  the  charity  of  strangers,  must 
see  beautiful  fir  trees  shining  everywhere,  and  beautiful 
gifts  given,  without  having  any  share  in  either,  or  some- 
times even  being  allowed  to  look  at  them. 

( s ) 


6 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


At  the  time  when  our  wonderful  story  took  place 
there  was  just  such  a  poor  orphan  child  living  in  the 
house  of  a  rich  tradesman,  who  had  many  children 
under  the  care  of  a  bad  step-mother,  whom  he  had  mar- 
ried soon  after  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  and  who  bore 
him  a  son,  whom  she  petted  and  entirely  spoiled.  Al- 
though the  father  would  not  allow  this  bad  step-mother 
to  indulge  her  own  son  more  than  his  other  children,  and 
saw  to  it  strictly  that  they  were  all  treated  equally  well, 
he  could  not  induce  her  to  treat  the  poor  orphan  boy, 
who  was  called  Gustave,  with  love  and  gentleness. 
When  he  sometimes  remonstrated  with  her  upon  the 
subject,  she  would  say:  "Well,  the  little  good-for- 
nothing  ought  to  be  content  with  enough  to  eat  and 
drink,  and  a  place  to  sleep  in.  It  is  a  new  idea  that 
beggars'  brats  must  be  petted  and  indulged."  Ah! 
poor  Gustave  did  not  deserve  that,  and  never  com- 
plained when  coarser  food  and  clothes  were  provided 
for  him  than  for  the  other  children,  only  it  grieved 
him  sorely,  and  he  could  not  understand  why  the  other 
children,  who  were  no  handsomer  nor  better  than  he, 
should  be  treated  so  much  more  kindly.  And  partic- 
ularly on  Christmas  morning,  when  the  little  ones  were 
all  showing  their  beautiful  toys  and  gifts,  and  when 
the  son  of  the  bad  step-mother  would  maliciously  as- 
sure him  that  the  Christ-child  brought  nothing  for  beg- 
gars' children,  the  poor  orphan  would  be  sad  indeed, 
and  resolve  that  if  ever  the  Christ-child  came  in  his 
way  he  would  entreat  him  to  tell  him  why  he  always 
forgot  him. 

And  now  Christmas-eve  had  come  round  again,  and 
Gustave  learned  from  the  maids  and  men  in  the  kitchen 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


7 


that  at  midnight  a  silver  bell  would  ring,  and  the 
Christ-child  would  come  riding  on  a  little  ass  to  bring 
the  children  all  the  beautiful  toys  which  they  would 
find  the  next  morning  upon  the  tables  and  chairs. 
"Then,"  he  thought  to  himself,  "  to-night  I  will  listen 
for  the  bell,  and  run  to  meet  the  Christ-child  and 
ask  him  humbly  to  remember  me."  And  Gustave 
tossed  upon  his  miserable  bed  in  the  attic,  and  could 
not  sleep  for  expectation,  but  heard  every  stroke  of 
the  clock.  At  last  just  as  it  struck  twelve,  he  seemed 
to  hear  a  gentle  noise  in  the  house,  something  like 
the  ringing  of  a  little  bell.  He  got  softly  out  of 
bed,  and  excitement,  as  well  as  cold,  made  his  teeth 
chatter  loudly.  He  slowly  went  down  the  stairs  and 
listened  attentively,  but  everything  in  the  house  was 
as  quiet  as  a  church  j  he  could  not  hear  the  slightest 
noise.  At  last  he  saw  a  ray  of  light  through  the  chink 
of  a  door  which  had  not  been  quite  closed,  and,  peep- 
ing in,  found  to  his  sorrow  that  he  had  come  too  late, 
for  the  Christ-child  had  already  ridden  away,  after 
covering  the  table  with  the  most  beautiful  toys. 

At  first  the  poor  fellow  was  about  to  slip  up  to  his 
attic  again ;  but  he  could  not  resist  his  curiosity,  and 
slowly  opened  the  door  that  he  might  see  the  toys  more 
distinctly.  Oh,  dear,  what  beautiful  things  were  there ! 
The  child  stood  confused  and  amazed,  and  looked 
about  him  for  some  time  before  he  could  quietly  ex- 
amine anything.  On  a  table  in  the  middle  of  the 
room  stood  a  tall  hemlock  tree  covered  with  wax-lights 
and  beautiful  things.  On  the  top  of  the  tree  there 
were  two  golden  flags,  which  waved  in  the  draught 
of  air  that  came  from  the  door  when  the  boy  opened 


8 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


it.  Upon  the  table  under  the  tree  there  were  heaps 
of  all  kinds  of  toys.  There  stood  a  great  dray  loaded 
with  chests  and  bales,  and  the  driver,  standing  by,  was 
swinging  his  whip  above  his  head,  all  so  naturally 
made  that  one  felt  convinced  that  if  the  whip  would 
only  crack  the  horses  would  gallop  quickly  away.  And 
there  too  stood  a  beautiful  carriage,  such  as  wealthy, 
distinguished  people  drive, — it  was  painted  blue  and 
had  red  wheels, — and  sitting  in  it  was  a  wondrously 
beautiful  little  lady  dressed  in  a  white  silk  frock, 
trimmed  with  lace,  with  a  myrtle  crown  and  a  long 
veil  upon  her  head,  and  her  little,  round  face  looked 
so  kindly  at  poor  Gustave  that  he  could  scarcely  take 
his  eyes  off  her.  Beside  the  carriage  was  ranged  a 
regiment  of  wooden  soldiers,  with  great  bear -skin 
caps  upon-  their  heads  and  muskets  upon  their  shoul- 
ders, looking  sternly  and  rigidly  before  them.  The 
drummers  went  first,  holding  their  drumc^eks,  all 
ready  to  beat  bravely  at  the  word  of  command.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  table  were  pretty  little  houses ; 
yes,  a  whole  town,  with  churches  and  bridges,  and  a 
large  garden  besides,  with  beautiful  trees  and  little 
fountains,  and  in  the  garden  finely-dressed  people  were 
walking,  and  huntsmen,  with  their  guns  upon  their 
shoulders,  were  spying  diligently  around  for  the  hares 
and  deer  that  were  leaping  about  under  the  trees. 

And  now  Gustave  noticed,  directly  beneath  the  hem- 
lock tree,  a  figure  which  at  first  shocked  him  not  a 
little.  It  was  twice  as  big  as  the  other  figures  which 
stood  upon  the  table  around  it,  and  had  a  misshapen, 
large,  almost  square  head.  Its  mouth  was  even  too 
large  and  misshapen  for  its  ugly  head,  and  was,  be 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


9 


sides,  wide  open,  showing  a  row  of  sharp,  white  teeth. 
Its  eyes  were  red,  with  a  small  black  pupil  in  each, 
which  looked  fiercely  out  upon  the  world.  The  fellow 
was  dressed  in  red  breeches,  little  yellow  boots,  and 
a  hussar's  jacket.  At  his  side  hung  a  large  sabre,  and 
upon  his  boots  were  ugly  spurs.  But  what  surprised 
Gustave  most  was  the  length  of  his  queue  behind,  which 
almost  reached  to  his  feet.  This  fierce-looking  crea- 
ture was  no  other  than  the  celebrated  Sir  Nutcracker, 
who  lends  children  his  sharp  teeth,  as  long  as  he  is  in 
the  humour  for  it,  to  crack  their  nuts.  The  poor  child 
had  never  had  occasion  to  request  the  services  of  this 
grim  gentleman,  consequently  was  in  great  terror  of  so 
fierce  a  fellow.  Although,  upon  examining  him  more 
closely,  Gustave  soon  left  him  and  went  to  the  other 
side  of  the  table  to  the  little  lady  in  the  white  silk 
dress,  who  smiled  at  him  so  kindly,  he  could  not  help 
glancing  across  sometimes  at  Nutcracker,  and  it  seemed 
then  as  though  the  little  man  rolled  his  red  eyes  towards 
him  and  chattered  with  his  teeth.  But  the  room  was 
so  comfortable  and  warm,  and  the  odour  of  the  hemlock 
tree  was  so  sweet  and  strange,  that  the  child's  eyes 
began  to  close.  If  he  thought  of  going  up  to  his  attic 
to  bed,  the  little  lady  looked  from  her  carriage  so  ten- 
derly that  he  found  it  impossible  to  leave  her ;  so  Gus- 
tave, after  some  reflection,  seated  himself  upon  a  low 
bench  at  the  table,  and,  though  he  resolved  firmly  not 
to  go  to  sleep,  his  head  sunk  on  his  breast  and  his  eyes 
closed  involuntarily. 

Then  suddenly  the  golden  flags  waved  more  proudly 
upon  the  hemlock  tree,  and  the  needles  on  the  branches 
rustled  loudly;  and  it  seemed  to  Gustave  that  the  Nut- 


lO 


THE  'ELFIN  TREE. 


cracker  raised  his  head  slowly  and  sharpened  his  teeth 
upon  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  Even  the  rigid  wooden 
soldiers  moved  their  feet  restlessly,  as  though  impa- 
tient to  march ;  and  the  boy  thought  he  could  dis- 
tinctly see  the  whip  of  the  driver  move  as  though  about 
to  crack  loudly.  A  moment  afterwards  all  was  quiet 
again,  and,  half  sleeping  and  half  waking,  the  boy 
turned  to  the  beautiful  lady  in  the  carriage,  and  if  his 
lips  spoke  no  word, 'the  beating  of  his  heart  asked  why 
the  Nutcracker  looked  so  angrily  from  the  root  of  the 
hemlock  tree,  and  why  the  soldiers  and  driver  seemed 
so  anxious  to  come  to  life.  The  beautiful  lady  in  the 
white  silk  dress  turned  her  head  somewhat  to  one  side 
and  whispered  so  softly  that  it  almost  sounded  like  the 
rustling  of  the  hemlock  needles.  "Ah,  alas!  in  the 
moss  under  the  hemlock  tree  the  evil  sorcerer  sits  hid- 
den, who  keeps  us  all  prisoners,  so  that  we  cannot 
move  and  breathe;  and  if  he  were  dead — yes,  if  he 
were  only  dead — we  could  enjoy  existence  as  you  do, 
and  go  out  into  the  world  to  meet  a  better  fate  than 
that  of  being  broken  and  spoiled  in  the  hands  of 
naughty  children."  At  these  last  words  the  beautiful 
little  lady  seemed  to  shed  a  couple  of  tears,  and  the 
Nutcracker  could  be  distinctly  heard  rattling  his  sabre 
and  his  spurs  angrily. 

What  he  thus  heard  about  the  sorcerer  sounded  very 
strangely  to  the  boy,  and  he  was  quite  frightened. 
But  suddenly  he  pictured  to  himself,  as  the  evil  sorcerer, 
some  one  who  abused  and  ill  treated  the  little  lady  just 
as  he  was  abused  by  the  bad  step-mother,  and  his 
heart  beat  so  angrily  that  he  woke  up  suddenly  and 
ran  to  the  hemlock  tree  to  look  for  the  sorcerer,  firmly 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


II 


resolving  to  twist  his  neck  for  him.  Then  a  low  cry  of 
joy  seemed  to  break  from  the  people  upon  the  table, 
and,  as  he  felt  through  the  moss  at  the  foot  of  the  tree 
with  his  hands,  he  thought  the  little  lady  in  the  white 
silk  dress  looked  towards  him  and  nodded  her  head 
kindly.  For  some  time  he  found  nothing  suspicious; 
but  at  last  he  drew  forth  out  of  the  moss  a  figure 
scarce  two  inches  high,  which  had  no"  legs  or  arms, 
but  a  fiery-red  head,  with  small  malicious  eyes  and 
a  mouth  that  stretched  from  ear  to  ear.  "Aha!" 
thought  Gustave,  "this  must  be  the  evil  sorcerer," 
and  he  took  him  with  him  back  to  his  seat  and  placed 
him  upon  the  edge  of  the  table ;  for  he  had  too  true  a 
feeling  of  justice  to  condemn  the  little  fellow  unheard, 
even  though  he  were  the  worst  sorcerer  in  the  world. 
He  placed  him  on  the  table  before  him  with  his  head 
upright,  that  he  might  ask  him  seriously  why  he  per- 
secuted with  his  evil  spells  the  poor  lady  in  the 
carriage,  the  brave  Sir  Nutcracker,  and  all  the  com- 
pany of  lofty  and  lowly  degree  upon  the  table,  and 
why  he  would  not  set  them  free.  But  scarcely  had  he 
taken  his  thumb  and  finger  from  the  little  thing's  body 
when  the  impudent  fellow,  as  in  sheer  defiance,  toppled 
upside  down  and  stood  stiff  upon  his  red  head. 

Gustave  found  such  behaviour  extremely  unbecom- 
ing, and  saw  in  it  only  the  insolence  of  the  little  fel- 
low, who  wished  to  laugh  at  and  ridicule  his  questions. 
He  sat  him  up  in  the  correct  position  again ;  but  no 
sooner  had  he  done  so  than  he  bobbed  back  again 
more  briskly  than  before,  and  it  seemed  to  the  boy  as 
though  he  waggled  his  little  body  to  and  fro  maliciously 
and  spitefully.    Gustave  was  extremely  vexed  at  this 


12 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


impudence,  and,  taking  him  for  the  third  time,  said 
to  him:  "Listen  to  me,  you  evil  sorcerer,  I  advise 
you  to  cease  your  tumbling  and  grimaces,  and  tell 
me  freely  and  frankly,  will  you  disenchant  the  poor 
little  people  here  or  not  ?"  But,  for  the  third  time,  he 
popped  upon  his  head  and  seemed  to  jeer  at  the  boy 
by  waggling  his  ugly,  misshapen  body  in  the  air. 

This  was  too  much.     Gustave  seized  him  by  the 
head,  and  was  doubtful  for  a  moment  whether  to  twist 
his  neck,  or  hand  him  over  to  the  honourable  Sir  Nut- 
cracker.   At  last  he  decided  in  favour  of  the  latter 
course,  for  he  was  sorry  to  destroy  anything,  even 
though  it  were  only  a  sorcerer,  who  had  laughed  at 
and  ridiculed  him.    And  Nutcracker  seemed  to  stretch 
open  his  mouth  wider  and  his  teeth  to  chatter  with 
desire  to  grind  up  the  hated  enemy ;  so  the  boy  took 
the  little  sorcerer  in  his  hand  and  stuck  him  quickly 
into  Nutcracker's  mouth.     A  terrible  and  exciting 
moment  ensued,  and  the  sight  of  the  brave  Nut- 
cracker's energetic  and  fearful  exertions  to  shut  his 
mouth,  which  he  could  not  possibly  do,  almost  drew 
tears  from  Gustave.    The  worthy  knight's  eyes  flashed 
with  rage,  and  his  sabre  and  spurs  rattled  with  un- 
speakable fury,  but  in  vain;  he  could  not  shut  his 
mouth  and  grind  up  the  sorcerer.    Suddenly  it  oc- 
curred to  the  boy  that  his  heavy  pig-tail  must  hinder 
greatly  the  movements  of  his  jaws,  and  in  order  to  help 
him  to  chew  up  the  magician  he  lifted  his  queue  a  little 
into  the  air.  Then  the  Nutcracker  clapped  his  jaws  to- 
gether, so  that  they  sounded  loudly  through  the  room, 
and  opened  his  mouth  and  shut  it  again,  until  the 
sorcerer  seemed  to  be  quite  dead ;  so  he  chewed  him 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


up  fine  in  his  jaws  with  a  noise  like  a  coffee-mill 
grinding  coffee. 

The  boy  stood  and  looked  on  with  amazement,  for 
anything  like  this  he  had  never  in  his  life  seen  before. 
After  the  Nutcracker  had  killed  the  magician,  he 
shouted  for  joy,  took  his  sabre  under  his  arm,  and 
sprang  up  into  the  air.    Then  he  hurried  to  the  car- 
riage iii  which  the  little  lady  sat,  and,  touching  his 
hat,  said:    "Fairest   Princess,  I   await  your  com- 
mands."   Ah!  a  most  curious  and  wonderful  bustle 
now  began  on  the  table.    The  driver  cracked  his  whip, 
and  the  horses,  harnessed  to  the  dray,  started  off,  but 
the  driver  called  out,  "  Woa!  woa!"  to  them,  and  they 
stood  stock-still,  only  shaking  their  harness  with  de- 
light.   The  drummers  before  the  soldiers  beat  a  short 
roll,  and  one  of  the  lieutenants  immediately  gave  the 
word  of  command  :  "  Ground  arms  !   Stand  at  ease  !" 
and  the  rigid  fellows  began  to  move, — one  examined 
his  gun,  and  another,  taking  off  his  bear-skin  cap,  put 
some  question  to  a  third.    In  front  of  the  regiment 
the  officers  stood  talking  together,  and  one  assured 
another  that,  'pon  his  honour,  the  weather  was  in- 
comparably fine ;  to  which  the  other  replied,  wittily 
and  with  enthusiasm,  that  it  really  was  incomparably 
fine  weather.     And  in  the  garden  everything  sud- 
denly began  to  stir.    The  trees  shook  their  branches 
as  though  moved  by  the  wind,  the  stags  and  hares 
sprang  away  over  the  green  grass,  and  the  huntsmen 
followed  them  with  loud  shouts  and  winding  of  horns, 
and  all  the  groups  of  people  who  had  before  been 
standing  stiffly  about  in  the  garden-path  began  to 
move,  placed  one  wooden  foot  before  another,  and 

2 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


walked  about  briskly  under  the  trees.  The  boy  did 
not  know  what  to  make  of  all  this,  and  stood  there, 
with  clasped  hands,  staring  at  these  extraordinary 
things.  He  was  particularly  interested  in  the  little 
lady  in  the  white  silk  dress,  who  often  looked  round 
at  him  and  now  and  then  nodded  at  him  kindly ;  so 
he  stayed  by  that  side  of  the  table  where  the  carriage 
was. 

After  Sir  Nutcracker  had  run  all  around  the  table 
and  carefully  investigated  everything,  he  came  again 
to  the  carriage-door,  and,  touching  his  hat,  said : 
"  Most  gracious  Princess,  the  spell  is  broken,  and  the 
people  impatiently  await  your  permission  to  go  out 
into  the  world.  Every  moment  that  we  delay  here  is 
fraught  with  fresh  danger  for  us;  therefore  I  entreat 
you,  O  Princess!  to  give  the  order  to  march."  Then 
she  nodded  carelessly  to  the  Nutcracker  and  replied : 
"Most  worthy  friend,  before  we  leave  this  place  it  is 
only  reasonable  that  I  should  offer  my  thanks  to  this 
mortal  child,  who  prudently  and  wisely  discovered  the 
sorcerer,  pulled  him  from  his  hiding-place,  and  deliv- 
ered him  to  you,  O  noble  Nutcracker !  for  punish- 
ment." At  these  last  words  the  noble  knight  scraped 
his  foot,  so  that  his  spurs  clashed,  and  he  conveyed 
the  Princess's  thanks  to  the  boy  in  the  choicest  ex- 
pressions, as  well  as  the  gratitude  of  the  little  people ; 
and  the  Princess  drew  from  her  finger  a  golden  ring, 
with  a  white  stone  that  sparkled  like  a  dew-drop,  and 
handed  it  to  Gustave. 

The  child  was  shocked  to  find  that  the  beautiful 
little  lady,  as  well  as  the  soldiers  and  the  Nutcracker, 
was  about  to  leave  him,  and  was  terribly  afraid  of  the 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


beating  that  he  would  receive  the  next  morning  when 
his  cross  mistress  discovered  that  the  things  were 
gone,  for  he  thought  every  one  who  looked  at  him  must 
see  that  he  had  set  them  all  at  liberty, — so  he  made 
one  or  two  useless  attempts  to  induce  them  to  remain. 
And  when  the  little  lady  shook  her  head  sadly,  and 
his  Highness,  Sir  Nutcracker,  declared  upon  his  honour 
that  any  further  delay  would  be  useless,  and  perhaps 
dangerous,  he  at  once  resolved  to  accompany  the  little 
people,  with  which  determination  the  Princess  seemed 
much  more  pleased  than  Sir  Nutcracker.  The  latter, 
indeed,  made  several  objections  to  the  plan;  but  as  the 
little  lady  accorded  her  full  and  free  consent  to  it,  the 
old  fellow  had  to  shut  his.  great  mouth  and  content 
himself  with  casting  a  couple  of  unfriendly  glances 
at  the  boy. 

And  then  Nutcracker  announced  to  all  the  people 
that  the  Princess  had  appointed  him  Regent  of  her 
future  realm,  and  that  every  one  must  take  great 
pains  to  obey  his  orders  strictly.  The  command  to 
start  was  given,  and  the  lieutenants,  with  their  soldiers, 
marched  off  the  table  to  the  tap  of  the  drums  as 
though  an  even  road  had  been  made  from  the  table  to 
the  floor.  And  many  other  wonders  occurred,  for  all 
the  covers  sprang  up  from  the  boxes  and  caskets  upon 
•the  table,  and  the  little  figures  inside  of  them  all 
walked  bravely  off.  Here  was  a  company  of  trades- 
people with  the  implements  of  their  trades,  and  here  a 
whole  dramatic  company  with  the  director  at  their 
head,  and  the  principal  performers  walking  arm  in 
aim,  followed  by  the  comic  characters,  and  so  on 
down  to  the  stage-manager  and  lamp-lighter.    Then  a 


i6 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


regiment  of  cuirassiers,  as  well  as  another  regiment  of 
dragoons,  arose  and  followed  the  train.  The  driver 
cracked  his  whip,  and  the  horses  started  off, — while 
behind  the  heavily-packed  dray  came  the  promenaders 
from  the  garden,  followed  by  the  huntsmen  and 
dogs,  accompanied  by  the  merrily-bounding  deer  and 
roes.  Nutcracker,  who  did  not  think  it  becoming  for 
the  regent  of  the  kingdom  to  travel  on  foot,  called  up 
a  little  wooden  camel  and  got  upon  his  back,  and  the 
poor  beast,  with  his  heavy  burden,  walked  patiently 
by  the  side  of  the  carriage  in  which  the  little  lady  sat. 
Gustave  walked  on  the  other  side,  and,  in  spite  of  all 
the  wonders  he  had  seen  this  night,  he  was  surprised 
anew  when  he  saw  how  correctly  and  quietly  the  whole 
train  marched  down  the  steps  of  the  house,  and  how 
the  front  door,  which  had  opened  of  itself,  closed 
again  in  the  same  manner  as  soon  as  the  whole  com- 
pany were  in  the  street.  In  the  room  above,  the  night- 
lamp  burnt  dimly  and  gloomily,  there  was  a  mournful 
rustling  in  the  boughs  of  the  hemlock,  and  the  gilded 
nuts  and  sugar-plums  twisted  and  sighed.  And  out  of 
the  moss  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  there  suddenly  arose 
a  second  sorcerer,  who  stood  straight  upon  his  head 
with  rage  and  fury,  and,  gnashing  his  teeth,  cried  out 
to  the  departing  crowd  "Only  wait  until  to-morrow, 
you  pack  of  vagabonds,  just  wait  until  to-morrow !" 

In  the  street  without,  the  most  beautiful,  clear  night 
was  reigning,  and,  although  the  moon  set  at  midnight, 
the  stars  sparkled  so  brightly  that  every  path  and  road 
were  seen  distinctly  by  their  light.  The  house  where 
Gustave  had  lived  until  now  was  near  the  end  of  the 
town,  so  that  the  little  people  soon  reached  the  coun- 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


17 


try,  where  were  large  forests  and  spacious  commons. 
The  military  marched  in  close  squadrons,  and  were 
on  their  guard  against  any  night-surprise.  And  they 
were  right,  for  here  and  there  were  seen  huge  monsters — 
rats,  cats,  and  dogs — who  sprang  among  the  little  peo- 
ple, gnashing  their  teeth.  Ah,  one  brave  little  lieuten- 
ant lost  his  life  on  this  night  in  an  attempt  to  distin- 
guish himself,  —  he  drew  his  sabre  and  rushed  upon 
a  young  cat  who  was  glaring  at  him  with  its  red,  fiery 
eyes.  Vain  was  his  heroic  courage  and  the  strength 
of  his  youthful  arm !  The  monster  laid  him  low  with 
one  blow  of  its  huge  paw,  and  the  dying  lieutenant 
cried  with  his  latest  breath,  "Long  live  the  Princess 
and  Regent  Nutcracker!" 

After  this  sad  but  not  irreparable  loss, — for  it  was 
only  a  breveted  lieutenant, — the  little  people  marched 
quietly  on,  and  soon  reached  a  heath,  where  Regent 
Nutcracker  held  a  consultation  with  the  grandees  of 
the  realm  as  to  what  was  to  be  done  for  the  night,  and 
as  to  a  place  of  refuge  where  wicked  men  should  not 
find  them  at  daybreak  and  take  them  captive  again. 
Although  it  was  mid-winter,  Gustave,  who  was  walking 
quickly  along  by  the  side  of  the  carriage,  did  not 
feel  at  a  1  cold,  but  was  as  warm  and  comfortable  as 
on  a  clear  May-day,  especially  when  he  looked  into 
the  black  eyes  of  the  friendly  little  lady.  He  took 
the  liveliest  interest  in  the  council  now  holding,  for  he 
was  greatly  troubled  by  the  thought  that  he  might  be 
followed  and  carried  back  on  the  morrow.  After 
much  discussion,  the  huntsmen  maintained  that  in  just 
such  places  as  this  in  which  they  found  themselves, 
huge  beasts,  called  foxes,  lived,  who  built  under  ground 
b  2* 


i3 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


the  most  convenient  and  beautiful  dwellings  ever  seen. 
"Yes,"  said  they,  "deep  in  the  earth  are  the  caves  of 
these  beasts,  built  with  large  antechambers,  and  all 
around  them  are  wide  passages  which  lead  in  different 
directions  up  to  the  surface  of  the  ground.  If  we 
could  only  vanquish  one  of  these  monsters  we  should 
have  the  handsomest  dwelling  in  the  world.  But," 
added  the  huntsmen  and  the  brave  officers,  "much 
heroic  blood  will  flow."  What  was  to  be  done?  Al- 
though the  Princess  would  not  hear  at  first  of  her 
subjects  losing  their  lives  in  such  an  unequal  contest, 
a  place  of  refuge  for  the  night  was  absolutely  necessary, 
and  she  yielded  at  last  to  the  prayers  of  Nutcracker 
and  her  assembled  nobles,  and  the  Regent  chose  out 
the  bravest  of  the  troops  to  reconnoitre  the  heath,  and 
find  a  fox's  cave. 

The  boy,  who  had  heard  much  of  foxes,  and  knew 
that  they  were  ugly,  sly  beasts  who  stole  fowls  at  night, 
and  sometimes  even  fell  upon  the  hares  and  rabbits 
in  the  woods,  was  appointed  by  the  Regent  to  lead 
the  troops  about  the  heath.  Nutcracker  himself  re- 
mained with  the  carriage,  in  order,  as  he  said,  to  pro- 
tect the  Princess,  and  encouraged  the  departing  officers 
with  the  prospect  of  the  brilliant  promotion  and  the 
glittering  stars  of  a  new  order  which  they  were  about 
to  gain. 

Gustave,  who  felt  the  importance  of  his  office,  had 
no  sooner  lost  sight  of  the  beautiful  little  lady  than 
he  suggested  to  the  assembled  host  under  his  command 
that  it  would  be  much  better  if  he  should  carry  them 
all,  officers  and  men,  in  his  hands,  as  they  could  then 
make  far  greater  progress. 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


19 


This  suggestion  was  adopted,  and  they  soon  came  to 
a  corner  of  the  forest  where  the  boy  saw  a  great  man)' 
little  round  openings  in  the  ground,  which  the  hunts- 
men, to  whom  he  showed  them,  declared  were  the 
holes  of  foxes.  Gustave  immediately  placed  his  whole 
army  upon  the  ground.  But  when  they  began  to  put 
themselves  in  position  it  was  found  that  many  of  the 
officers  were  missing.  These  brave  fellows  had  been 
seized  with  a  panic  at  sight  of  the  terrible  caves,  and 
had  wandered  away,  Heaven  knows  where.  When  the 
drummers  beat  to  arms,  some  were  found  hidden 
away  in  the  boy's  pockets.  But  they  declared  upon 
their  honour  that  they  had  slipped  down  there  un- 
wittingly. 

One  of  the  holes  was  immediately  surrounded  on  all 
sides,  and  the  commander  of  the  forces  called  for  vol- 
unteers who  would  venture  as  an  advanced  guard  into 
the  monster's  dwelling.  Twenty  bearded  warriors  were 
soon  ready, — old  veterans  with  huge  bear-skin  caps, — 
who  marched  into  the  little  openings,  two  by  two, 
with  fixed  bayonets,  and  moved  slowly  onwards.  The 
boy  seized  a  stout  stick,  which  he  found  upon  the 
ground,  and  placed  himself  before  the  largest  of  the 
holes,  in  order  to  greet  the  fox,  if  he  should  appear, 
with  a  good  blow  upon  the  nose.  The  whole  army 
stood  around  the  openings,  eager  and  expectant.  As 
it  was  possible  that  the  beast  was  not  at  home,  but 
seeking  for  prey  in  the  open  fields,  the  precaution  was 
taken  of  placing  a  line  of  pickets  in  the  rear  of  the 
army,  to  guard  against  surprise,  and  the  wisdom  of 
this  military  measure  was  soon  made  manifest.  For 
no  sooner  had  the  brave  veterans  disappeared  in  the 


20 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


bowels  of  the  earth  than  the  outside  posts  rushed  in 
to  the  next  in  line,  and  these  others  upon  those  in 
front  of  them,  announcing  with  loud  shouts  that  a 
horrible  monster  was  approaching  in  great  haste.  -  Oh, 
heavens !  how  many  sighs  and  prayers  burst  from 
the  lips  of  these  valiant  officers  and  men,  for  the 
dreaded  creature  was  indeed  coming!  It  grieves 
me  to  confess  that  at  this  moment  most  of  the  corps 
commanders  and  officers  lost  their  heads.  They 
issued  all  sorts  of  contradictory  commands,  and 
ordered  the  poor  soldiers  hither  and  thither,  who,  not 
knowing  what  was  best  to  be  done,  wisely  followed 
their  natural  impulses  and  ran  away.  The  huntsmen, 
however,  did  not  imitate  this  inglorious  example;  but, 
hiding  behind  large  blades  of  grass  and  pebbles,  pre- 
pared to  receive  the  monster  with  well-aimed  bullets. 
Yes,  it  was  old  Sir  Reynard  himself  who  was  hurrying 
home.  On  he  came  in  full  career ;  but  whether  he 
perceived  that  matters  around  his  dwelling  were  not 
all  right  I  cannot  say — at  any  rate,  he  slackened  his 
pace  and  looked  cautiously  about.  The  boy  stood 
very  near  the  entrance  of  the  hole,  half  concealed  by 
a  tree,  with  his  club  tight  in  his  hand,  and,  as  he  was 
braver  than  Nutcracker's  whole  army  put  together,  he 
did  not  flinch,  but  let  the  fox  get  quite  near,  and  then, 
just  as  the  old  fellow  was  about  to  stick  his  nose  into 
the  opening,  he  gave  him  such  a  blow  upon  his  head 
that  Reynard  turned  round  and  ran  like  a  shot  away 
over  the  fields.  Unfortunately  he  took  the  direction  in 
which  the  greater  part  of  the  army  had  gone  just  be- 
fore, and  innumerable  cries  of  anguish  soon  informed 
the  boy  that  the  fox  had  reached  the  flying  host.  But, 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


21 


as  Reynard  was  intent  only  upon  escape,  he  did  not 
stop  to  do  the  little  people  any  harm,  but,  only  run- 
ning over  some  battalions  of  infantry  and  a  few  squad- 
rons of  dragoons,  he  quickly  vanished  in  the  dark 
night. 

As  all  danger  was  now  at  an  end,  officers  and  soldiers 
went  back  quickly  to  the  fox's  hole,  and  as  in  the  mean- 
time the  brave  volunteers  had  returned  from  exploring 
it,  and  reported  that  it  was  quite  empty  and  most 
suitably  provided  with  apartments  and  passages,  a  mes- 
sage to  this  effect  was  soon  dispatched  to  Regent  Nut- 
cracker, who  appeared  upon  his  camel  with  a  mounted 
escort.  The  Princess  followed  him  in  her  carriage,  as 
well  as  the  whole  train,  and  when  they  had  all  entered 
the  hole  they  fell  into  one  another's  arms  with  mutual 
congratulations  at  having  obtained  so  splendid  a  capital 
city. 

The  Regent  summoned  the  volunteers  into  his  pres- 
ence, and,  in  view  of  the  extraordinary  service  which 
they  had  this  night  rendered  the  State,  he  condescended 
to  address  to  them  some  words  of  commendation,  while 
he  appointed  all  the  officers,  even  those  who  had  run 
away,  knights  of  a  newly-founded  order,  the  gold 
crosses  of  which  were,  of  course,  distributed  by  the 
noble  Nutcracker,  who  took  care  to  provide  himself 
with  one  also. 

The  boy,  who  had  certainly  contributed  the  largest 
share  towards  the  happy  termination  of  the  dangers 
of  the  night,  was  greatly  surprised  to  receive  no  words 
of  praise  from  Regent  Nutcracker,  but  to  be  com- 
manded by  him  to  lay  aside  his  club, — a  command 
which  pained  him  not  a  little.     He  was  somewhat 


22 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


comforted,  however,  on  receiving  a  kindly  nod  from 
the  little  lady,  although  he  imagined  that  he  could 
perceive  that  her  face  was  not  as  cheerful  as  before; 
nay,  he  even  thought  her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and 
that  she  sighed  deeply.  The  Regent  bustled  down 
from  his  camel  and  commanded  the  carriers,  who  were 
standing  by  their  laden  carts,  to  proceed  directly  into 
the  cave  with  their  trunks  and  boxes,  while  the  trades- 
people would  fit  up  the  interior  for  the  reception  of 
the  Princess.  The  little  men  worked  with  such  dili- 
gence and  rapidity  that  it  was  really  a  pleasure  to 
hear  them  hammering  and  sawing.  The  soldiers  as- 
sisted to  purify  and  level  the  many  passages  into  the 
cave.  Sentinels  were  posted  at  stated  distances  along 
these  passages;  and  when  all  these  precautions  were 
taken  the  Regent  commanded  all  to  enter  their  new 
dwelling,  and,  once  more  mounting  his  camel,  rode 
before  the  Princess's  carriage. 

The  poor  boy,  who  beheld  all  these  arrangements, 
saw  clearly  that  he  would  have  to  remain  behind,  so 
he  approached  the  carriage  and  said  mournfully  to  the 
pretty  little  lady,  ' 'Ah,  fairest  Princess,  what  will  be- 
come of  me  ?  Will  you  leave  me  here  alone  upon  the 
ground  in  the  dark  night,  which  will  kill  me  with 
cold  when  you  have  vanished  from  my  eyes — you  whose 
kindly  look  alone  has  warmed  and  cheered  me?" 

At  these  words  the  Regent  turned  around  upon  his 
camel  and  said  in  rather  a  haughty  manner,  "We 
thank  you,  in  the  name  of  the  kingdom,  for  the  ser- 
vices you  have  rendered.  You  have  done  your  dutyj 
and  we  shall  bear  you  in  remembrance  as  long  as  we 
live." 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


23 


The  boy,  who  did  not  even  look  at  the  Regent, 
noticed  that  at  these  words  the  face  of  the  little  lady 
grew  sadder  than  before,  and  that  large  tears  were 
really  rolling  down  her  cheeks.  She  stretched  out  to 
him  her  little  white  hand  and  said  softly,  "Ah,  dear 
friend,  I  shall  surely  see  you  again."  Whereupon 
the  noble  Nutcracker  motioned  to  move  on,  the 
horses  started,  and  the  carriage  vanished  like  light- 
ning into  the  interior  of  the  cave.  The  soldiers  fol- 
lowed, first  the  infantry,  then  the  cavalry,  and,  last  of 
all,  the  huntsmen,  with  the  deer  and  hares,  who  did 
not  seem  at  all  afraid,  and  soon  all  had  disappeared 
under  ground.  For  awhile  the  rattling  of  the  vehicles 
could  be  heard,  and  the  measured  tread  of  the  soldiery; 
but  this  grew  fainter  and  more  distant,  and  at  last  all 
was  quiet  and  still. 

The  boy  looked  around  him  with  amazement,  and 
noticed  for  the  first  time,  as  he  gazed  over  the  desolate 
heath,  how  piercingly  cold  was  the  keen  morning  wind. 
What  should  he  do?  Although  all  the  occurrences 
of  the  past  night  were  so  wonderful  that  they  seemed 
to  him  like  a  beautiful  dream,  he  was  too  well  con- 
vinced of  their  reality  not  to  fear  bitter  ill-treat- 
ment, on  his  return  home,  from  his  cruel  mistress  and 
her  children,  who  would  most  probably  regard  him  as 
a  thief  that  had  stolen  all  these  things  and  hidden 
them  away. 

And,  alas !  his  forebodings  were  but  too  well  founded, 
for  scarcely  had  the  day  dawned  when  the  cruel  mis- 
tress of  the  house  arose  and  went  up  to  the  attic,  where 
poor  Gustave  usually  slept,  to  waken  him  that  he  might 
fetch  the  water  and  make  the  fires.    She  was  not  a 


24 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


little  surprised  to  find  his  bed  empty.  1  'Aha  !"  thought 
she,  "  for  once  he  has  minded  his  duty,  and  has  prob- 
ably gone  to  the  spring  to  wash  himself."  So  she  went 
down  stairs  again  and  looked  out  into  the  yard,  but  no 
boy  was  to  be  seen  or  heard  there.  She  waited  for 
him  a  little  while,  and  then,  shaking  her  head,  she 
went  and  got  a  stick  with  which  to  beat  him  as  soon 
as  he  should  appear.  But  as  he  did  not  come  she  went 
into  the  room,  where  the  Christmas-tree  was  and  all  the 
toys,  to  make  the  fire  there  herself.  How  shall  I  de- 
scribe her  fright  when,  upon  entering,  she  found  not 
a  trace  of  the  beautiful  toys  which  she  herself  had 
yesterday  bought  and  placed  there?  At  first  she 
thought  that  her  eyes  deceived  her,  and  ran  to  the 
windows  and  tore  open  the  curtains.  But  this  did 
not  help  her — everything  had  vanished. 

So  she  ran  and  awakened  her  husband,  who  hur- 
riedly dressed  himself  and  went  into  the  room, 
where,  however,  he  found  nothing  more  than  his 
wife  had  found.  And  the  children,  too,  aroused 
by  the  noise,  ran  after  their  parents,  and,  although 
they  were  much  pleased  at  sight  of  the  great  hem- 
lock tree,  they  began  to  cry  and  bawl  loudly,  when 
their  mamma  told  them  of  the  beautiful  toys  which 
Kriss  Kringle  had  brought  them,  and  which  had  all 
disappeared. 

In  her  first  fright  the  woman  had  forgotten  that  poor 
Gustave  was  not  yet  at  home ;  but  she  suddenly  re- 
membered him,  and  cried  out  that  he  had  stolen  the 
toys  and  made  off  with  them.  Her  husband,  too, 
when  he  heard  that  the  boy  was  gone,  thought  her  sus- 
picions well  founded,  and  the  children  screamed  and 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


25 


howled,  declaring  that  Gustave  was  just  the  boy  to  do 
such  a  thing. 

Preparations  were  immediately  made  to  follow  and 
bring  him  back,  and  the  maids  and  men-servants  were 
sent  out  into  the  town  to  search  for  him,  while  the 
father  himself  got  ready  to  assist  them.  The  children, 
weary  of  crying  and  lamenting,  were  examining  the 
hemlock  tree,  and  the  moss  at  its  foot,  when  one  of 
them  showed  to  the  others  a  very  queer  little  figure, 
that  he  had  found.  It  had  no  arms  nor  legs,  but  a 
red  face,  like  a  man's,  a  very  wide  mouth  and  small, 
green  eyes.  The  children  looked  at  it,  and,  placing 
it  upon  the  table,  were  much  amused  to  see  how  it 
always  stood  upon  its  head  and  waggled  the  stump 
of  its  body  in  the  air.  But  when  the  father  saw 
that  of  all  the  Christmas  gifts  nothing  was  left  but 
this  one  juggler,  he  was  so  angry  that  he  took  him  in 
his  hand  and  was  going  to  crush  him ;  but  the  chil- 
dren begged  so  earnestly  that  he  would  not  harm  the 
poor  fellow  that  he  did  not  break  him,  but  carelessly 
slipped  him  into  his  pocket.  Then  he  took  his  hat 
and  stick  and  hurried  out  of  the  house  to  look  for  the 
runaway  boy. 

In  the  mean  time  the  day  had  grown  bright,  so  that 
all  objects  were  easily  distinguished.  A  few  steps  from 
the  house  he  saw  something  red  upon  the  ground.  He 
picked  it  up  and  found  with  astonishment  that  it  was 
one  of  the  officers  of  the  wooden  soldiers,  with  his  head 
all  cracked  on  one  side.  "Aha !"  thought  he,  "I  am 
on  the  right  track  here,"  and  unfortunately  some  un- 
seen power  seemed  to  direct  his  steps,  for  he  followed 
exactly  the  road  taken  by  the  little  people  on  the  pre- 

3 


26 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


vious  night,  and  soon  reached  the  common  where  he 
found  the  poor  boy  who  had  fallen  asleep  before  the 
fox's  hole. 

He  shook  him  roughly,  and  poor  Gustave  was 
frightened  enough.  He  fell  upon  his  knees  and 
prayed  for  mercy,  but  his  prayers  were  of  no  avail ; 
his  master  seized  the  stick  with  which  the  boy  had 
chased  away  the  fox  and  thrashed  him  soundly,  calling 
out  to  him  to  confess  where  he  had  hidden  all  the 
beautiful  toys.  In  vain  the  boy  declared  that  he  had 
not  carried  them  off  (and  he  spoke  the  truth,  for 
they  had  gone  of  themselves).  The  man  called  him 
a  wicked  thief,  and,  seizing  him  by  the  collar, 
dragged  him  home,  where  his  mistress  repeated  the 
punishment  and  then  locked  him  in  a  dark  cellar, 
bidding  him  stay  there  until  he  should  confess  what 
had  become  of  all  the  lovely  toys. 

When  their  father  was  composed  again,  the  children 
asked  him  to  give  them  the  juggler  that  he  had  put  into 
his  pocket,  but  he  searched  for  it  in  vain;  he  could 
not  find  what  they  wanted.  As  he  thought  he  must 
have  dropped  it  where  he  had  found  the  boy,  he  sent 
the  children  thither  to  look  for  the  ugly  little  fellow. 
After  awhile  they  returned  without  having  found  him, 
but  bringing  with  them  a  quantity  of  wooden  soldiers, 
which  they  said  they  had  found  lying  on  the  ground 
just  outside  of  the  many  openings  to  the  fox's  cave. 
The  cruel  mistress  was  now  convinced  that  the  boy 
had  stolen  all  the  rest  of  the  toys  and  taken  them 
with  him,  and  with  blows  and  abuse  she  commanded 
him  instantly  to  confess.  The  cellar  where  poor 
Gustave  was  imprisoned  was  terribly  cold  and  dark. 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


27 


Although  he  would  not  have  cared  if  they  had  found 
and  brought  back  Regent  Nutcracker  and  all  the 
soldiery  and  tradesfolk,  he  could  not  help  weeping 
bitterly  at  the  idea  of  their  finding  the  poor  little 
lady  and  bringing  her  back  also,  without  that  kindly 
smile  upon  her  face  which  had  beamed  upon  him 
when  she  came  to  life,  and  at  the  thought  that  the 
naughty  children  of  the  house  would  throw  her  about, 
break  her  lovely  head  perhaps,  and  soil  the  splendid 
white  silk  dress.  But  at  last  a  way  out  of  his  diffi- 
culties occurred  to  him.  He  confessed  to  his  cruel 
mistress  that  he  knew  where  the  toys  were,  and  that 
he  would  bring  them  back  if  she  would  let  him  go 
alone  for  them,  but  declared  that  if  she  would  not,  he 
would  sooner  be  beaten  to  death  than  tell  another  word 
about  them.  He  hoped  that  he  might  be  able  to  en- 
large one  of  the  passages  to  the  fox's  hole,  so  that  he 
could  creep  in  and  capture  Nutcracker  and  the  rest  of 
the  little  people.  But  he  resolved  firmly  never  to 
bring  back  the  little  white  lady,  but  rather  to  leave 
her  forever  in  her  palace  under  ground  than  give  her 
up  to  wicked  people. 

When  the  mistress  saw  that  she  could  do  nothing 
with  him,  she  let  the  poor  boy  have  his  way,  and  he 
went  out  upon  the  heath  with  a  little  spade  to  begin 
his  work  there. 

But  how  can  I  describe  his  astonishment  and  fright 
when  he  saw  standing  beside  the  fox's  hole  a  hunts- 
man with  two  or  three  little  dogs,  that  he  was  en- 
couraging to  creep  into  the  various  openings?  The 
huntsman,  quite  an  old  man,  had  a  kind,  honest  face, 
and  bade  the  boy  good-morning ;  whereupon  the  latter 


28 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


seized  1  :m  by  the  hand  and  entreated  him  not  to  let 
the  dogs  get  into  the  cave.  The  huntsman  replied 
with  a  smile  that  he  could  not  grant  his  request,  for 
there  was  a  large  fox  in  this  den,  that  had  done  a 
great  deal  of  damage  already,  and  that  had  eluded 
every  effort  made  to  capture  him.  The  old  man  spoke 
so  kindly,  and  inspired  the  boy  with  so  much  con- 
fidence, that  he  told  him  in  as  few  words  as  possible  the 
strange  occurrences  of  the  past  night.  The  huntsman 
listened  and  was  not  a  little  affected  when  the  boy,  in 
his  simplicity,  told  him  how  he  had  wanted  to  meet  the 
holy  Christ-child  in  the  night  that  he  might  beg  him 
to  bring  him  some  little  gift.  To  be  sure  he  shook  his 
head  at  the  account  of  the  animated  toys,  but  the  boy 
assured  him  so  earnestly  that  he  was  telling  the  truth 
that  the  old  man  did  not  know  what  to  think,  and, 
moved  by  the  child's  entreaties,  turned  to  his  dogs  to 
call  them  off  from  the  fox-hole. 

But  it  was  too  late ;  they  had  already  disappeared  in 
the  openings  and  were  heard  growling  and  barking 
inside. 

"Ah!"  cried  the  boy,  "  now  all,  all  is  lost!  they 
will  bite  the  poor  beautiful  little  lady  in  the  white  silk 
dress  to  death — that  poor  dear  little  lady  who  gave 
me  her  hand  so  kindly,  and  who  was  so  afraid  of  being 
soiled  by  the  children's  hands,  will  now  be  torn  to 
pieces  by  the  dogs  !" 

The  old  man,  moved  by  the  child's  distress,  took  a 
little  silver  whistle  from  his  girdle,  and,  after  calling 
on  the  dogs  loudly  by  name,  he  whistled  three  times 
to  hurry  thpm  back  to  him  from  the  hole.  Then  the 
noise  and  barking  in  the  fox-hole  grew  louder,  and 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


20 


you  could  hear  that  the  dogs  were  shaking  something 
before  them.  Still  they  came  nearer  and  nearer  to 
the  surface  until  one  of  them  crept  out  of  the 
opening,  dragging  a  figure  which  Gustave  recog- 
nized, to  his  great  astonishment,  as  the  brave  and 
noble  Nutcracker,  whose  misshapen  limbs  and  thick 
head  lay  stark  and  stiff  upon  the  ground.  Gustave 
seized  him  and  showed  him  to  the  huntsman.  Ah  ! 
no  trace  of  life  could  be  discovered  in  him.  His 
queue  behind  stood  out  uncommonly  stiff ;  his  jaws 
were  tight  set,  and  when  the  boy  tried  to  open  them 
he  found  that  the  joint  was  broken  and  useless. 

Unkind  as  the  Regent  had  been  to  him,  poor  Gus- 
tave would  not  have  grudged  a  tear  to  his  untimely  fate 
if  it  had  not  suddenly  occurred  to  him  that  the  shame- 
less Nutcracker  had  forsaken  the  poor  Princess,  and 
probably  left  her  to  die.  One  dog  after  another  crept 
out,  bringing  quantities  of  the  vanished  toys.  One 
had  scraped  together  a  whole  heap  of  soldiers,  and  the 
poor  fellows  lay  there  stiff  and  motionless,  with  their 
guns  upon  their  shoulders  and  their  bear-skin  caps  upon 
their  heads.  Another  dog  had  a  horse  by  the  neck,  and 
dragged  him  out,  bringing  with  him  the  whole  team, 
dray,  driver,  and  all.  A  third  hauled  out  a  quantity 
of  harmless  promenaders ;  in  short,  the  dogs  brought 
out  in  time  all  the  toys,  and  the  boy  was  every  mo- 
ment fearful  that  the  poor  little  lady  would  appear 
hacked  and  torn  like  all  the  other  things.  But  she  did 
not  come,  and  the  last  dog  appeared  at  one  of  the 
openings.  Gustave  hardly  dared  to  look,  so  fearful 
was  he  of  beholding  the  poor  Princess;  but  instead, 
the  dog  had  in  his  mouth  something  which  the  boy 
3* 


3o 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


hastily  picked  up,  for  it  looked  just  like  the  malicious 
little  fellow  who  had  stood  so  defiantly  on  his  head 
before  him.  "  Ah  !"  thought  Gustave  to  himself,  "this 
is  the  evil  sorcerer,  —  it  is  his  fault  that  they  found 
me  here,  and  that  all  these  poor  creatures  have  grown 
stiff  and  stark  again."  And,  in  a  sudden  fit  of  anger, 
he  tore  off  the  sorcerer's  red  head  and  threw  him  far 
away.  Then  it  seemed  as  though  all  the  figures  which 
lay  dead  upon  the  ground  twitched  and  stirred  a  little ; 
yes,  the  noble  Nutcracker  made  one  vain  attempt  to 
drop  his  lower  jaw,  but  the  spark  of  life  was  extinct, — 
they  all  lay  there  cold  and  dead. 

The  boy  gathered  together  all  the  toys  and  wrapped 
them  in  a  cloth  that  he  had  brought  with  him.  The 
huntsman  stopped  up  all  the  openings  to  the  fox-hole, 
and  made  a  curious  mark  upon  it  with  his  hunting- 
knife,  which  would  prevent,  he  said,  any  animal  from 
ever  creeping  in  there  again,  "in  order,"  he  added, 
smiling,  "that  your  poor  little  Princess  may  not  be 
disturbed  in  her  sleep." 

The  sympathy  which  the  boy  had  shown  for  the  life- 
less figures  pleased  the  old  man,  and  the  frank,  open 
bearing  of  the  lad  attracted  him  greatly,  so  he  went 
into  town  with  him  to  the  merchant's  house,  where  the 
cruel  mistress,  at  sight  of  the  spoiled  playthings,  at- 
tempted again  to  beat  and  abuse  Gustave.  But  the 
huntsman  reproved  her  roughly  for  her  violence,  which 
made  her  very  angry,  and  she  asked  why  he  inter- 
fered with  matters  which  did  not  concern  him.  How- 
ever, when  the  huntsman  announced  that  he  was  the 
Keeper  of  the  neighbouring  forests,  and  wished  to  take 
the  boy  with  him,  that  he  might  make  a  skilful  hunts- 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


3* 


man  of  him,  the  bad  woman  grew  more  amiable,  and, 
as  she  was  sure  that  she  could  not  get  rid  of  the  boy 
more  easily,  she  talked  it  over  with  her  husband,  and 
both  gave  their  consent,  to  Gustave's  great  joy,  for  he 
had  already  grown  fond  of  the  old  huntsman. 

They  immediately  started  off,  and  when  they  came 
to  the  fox-hole  the  boy  stood  still  for  a  moment,  folded 
his  hands,  and  gazed  sadly  at  the  hillock,  as  one  would 
contemplate  a  grave.  Ah  !  for  him  it  was  indeed  a 
grave,  for  there  lay  the  beautiful  little  lady  in  her 
white  silk  dress,  with  her  pleasant  little  face,  and  per- 
haps she  was  cold  and  dead,  like  the  other  toys ;  but 
perhaps  she  was  only  asleep  and  dreaming.  The  old 
huntsman  took  the  boy  by  the  hand,  and  they  both 
strode  sturdily  on  towards  the  forest.  On  the  way 
Gustave  had  to  tell  again  the  story  of  the  previous 
night,  and  the  old  man,  who  had  at  first  scarcely  cred- 
ited what  the  boy  told  him  of  the  moving  toys,  shook 
his  head  thoughtfully  and  said  :  "  My  child,  you  have 
a  nature  sensitive  to  things  that  would  never  stir-  the 
imagination  of  a  common  man,  therefore  the  forest 
will  be  an  open  book  for  you,  and  you  will  learn  and 
understand  much  from  the  rustle  of  the  leaves,  the 
odour  of  the  violet,  the  ripple  of  the  mountain-brook, 
and  from  a  thousand  other  things.  Oh,  the  forest  is 
so  fair,  so  sacredly  fair  ! ' ' 

Thus  talking,  they  arrived,  as  the  sun  began  to  de- 
scend, at  the  Keeper's  cottage,  which  stood  upon  an 
eminence  in  the  middle  of  the  forest.  Although 
winter  had  robbed  the  poor  trees  of  their  brightest 
attire,  and  although  they  stood  sadly  with  their 
naked  boughs  trembling  with  cold,  the  boy  thought 


32  THE  ELFIN  TREE. 

it  far  more  grand  and  glorious  here  than  among 
the  gloomy  houses  of  the  town.  Here,  in  the  forest, 
the  ground  was  covered  with  white  snow,  from  which 
only  little  black  stalks  and  moss  peeped  curiously 
forth,  begging  Brother  Wind  to  brush  the  snow 
from  their  stems.  The  boughs  of  the  large  trees, 
particularly  the  hemlocks,  were  heavy  with  snow,  and 
hung  low  down ;  and  yet  one  could  look  beneath 
them  far  into  the  depths  of  the  wood.  How  merrily  the 
roes  sprang  about !  And  sometimes  a  strong,  stately 
stag  would  stand  still  for  a  moment,  listening  to  the 
approaching  footsteps,  and  then,  with  a  couple  of 
bounds,  vanish  into  the  thicket. 

The  sun  set  slowly,  and  threw  its  red,  glowing  beams 
deep  into  the  wood,  so  that  one  side  of  the  trees  looked 
golden.  A  fine,  blue  mist  arose  from  the  valleys 
which  grew  grayer  and  darker,  and,  when  the  man 
and  boy  were  near  the  forest-house,  it  had  become 
dark  as  midnight,  and  through  the  gloom  shone  the 
light  of  a  lamp  like  a  guiding  star.  This  the  hunts- 
man pointed  out  to  Gustave,  and  told  him  that  where 
that  shone  his  home  would  be.  As  they  approached  it, 
some  great  dogs  began  to  bark  loudly,  and  sprang  joy- 
fully towards  the  new-comers.  An  old  woman,  the 
huntsman's  sister,  opened  the  door,  and,  when  her 
brother  told  her  the  boy's  story,  and  how  he  had  taken 
him  from  a  cruel  mistress,  she  stroked  the  lad's  hair 
kindly  and  gave  him  a  cordial  welcome.  Ah  !  poor 
Gustave  had  never  passed  so  happy  and  comfortable  an 
evening,  as  this  in  the  forester's  cottage.  He  could  sit  by 
the  bright  blazing  fire,  and,  instead  of  the  harsh  words 
that  he  had  been  used  to,  the  huntsman  listened  kindly 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


33 


to  his  childish  questions  and  talked  with  him,  and  even 
the  great  dogs  came  and  laid  their  heads  upon  his 
knee  and  looked  confidingly  at  him  with  their  large, 
shining  eyes. 

When  it  was  time  to  retire,  he  was  not  sent,  as  in 
the  merchant's  house,  to  a  miserable  sack  of  straw 
under  the  roof,  but  the  forester's  sister  made  him  a 
nice  bed  in  a  pretty  little  room,  where  he  could  pass 
the  night,  and  wished  him  a  good-night  too,  which 
had  never  happened  to  him  in  his  life  before,  so  he 
went  quietly  and  gently  to  sleep. 

Never  had  he  slept  so  well  in  his  life  ;  he  dreamed 
of  all  kinds  of  lovely  things,  and  once  in  his  dreams 
Regent  Nutcracker  appeared  to  him,  and,  grinning  at 
him,  showed  his  teeth  and  said,  laughing  scornfully, 
"  Do  you  see,  do  you  see, — to  be  sure  we  are  broken 
and  spoiled  by  naughty  children;  but  the  gracious 
Princess  reposes  far  under  the  ground,  and  you  will 
never  see  her  again, — ha !  ha !  ha !"  This  made  the  boy 
very  sad,  and  he  felt  the  tears  rolling  down  his  cheeks 
in  his  sleep ;  but  then  the  Nutcracker  vanished  sud- 
denly again,  and  he  saw  the  little  lady  lying  back  upon 
the  silken  cushions  of  her  carriage,  leaning  her  head 
upon  her  hand  and  sleeping  quietly.  The  head  of  the 
coachman  upon  the  box  was  bent  forward  upon  his 
breast,  and  the  horses  stood  still  with  closed  eyes. 

But  the  winter  morning's  kindly  sun  scared  away 
these  varied  dreams  from  the  boy's  couch,  and  he 
awakened  gay  and  happy.  The  huntsman  soon  called 
him  and  took  him  into  the  forest,  where  he  showed 
him  how  the  little  trees  were  growing  out  of  the 
ground,  and  how  the  various  animals  left  their  foot* 
c 


34 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


prints  in  the  snow, —  told  him  that  there  a  noble 
stag  had  passed,  that  these  were  the  footprints  of 
a  roe,  and  that  here  Master  Reynard  had  scampered 
past,  after  killing  a  cock  or  a  young  hare.  And  al- 
though the  boy  listened  attentively  to  all  that  the  old 
man  told  him,  he  was  most  interested  in  observing  the 
tracks  of  the  fox,  for  he  always  remembered  the  pretty 
little  lady,  and  thought  how  he  might  find  her  again  if 
the  old  fox  should  ever  return  to  his  dwelling  and 
manage  to  get  in. 

The  old  huntsman's  affection  for  the  boy  continued 
to  increase, — he  taught  him  something  new  every 
day,  and  nothing  pleased  Gustave  more  than  to 
wander  through  the  forest.  But  when  the  spring 
came,  and  with  the  disappearance  of  frost  and  snow 
the  earth  grew  green  and  young,  he  did  indeed 
delight  in  his  forest  life.  For  the  first  time  he  saw 
how  the  buds  of  the  trees  swelled  larger  and  larger, 
until  some  warm  wind  would  kiss  them  open  and  the 
tender  little  leaves  peeped  out,  and,  when  free  from 
their  prison,  began  to  grow  lustily,  and  soon  shaded 
the  delicate,  mossy  covering  of  the  ground.  He  could 
have  watched  for  hours  the  young  trees  which,  spring- 
ing from  the  earth,  became  stronger  and  taller  from 
day  to  day.  And  just  so  he  grew  himself,  and  became, 
under  the  kind  care  of  the  huntsman,  and  in  the 
pure  air  of  the  forest,  big  and  strong.  Weeks  and 
months  passed,  and  several  Christmas-days  had  come 
and  gone,  and  upon  these  days  Gustave  thought  more 
steadily  and  earnestly,  than  at  any  other  time,  of  the 
night  when  he  wandered  forth  with  the  toys.  Some- 
times he  visited  the  merchant's  house  in  the  town,  and 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


35 


upon  the  way  always  looked  for  the  fox-hole  in  which 
the  beautiful  little  lady  was  sleeping;  but  distinctly 
as  he  remembered  all  about  it,  he  searched  in  vain  for 
the  place  where  the  brave  Regent  Nutcracker  had  dis- 
mounted from  his  camel  and  disappeared  with  his  train 
within  the  hillock.  He  did  not  much  like  to  visit 
the  town,  for  they  did  not  seem  very  glad  to  see  him 
in  the  merchant's  house,  and  he  preferred  to  stay  in 
his  forest-home  with  his  dogs,  who  loved  him  dearly. 
The  only  relic  of  former  times  which  he  possessed  was 
the  little  ring  which  the  Princess  had  given  him,  and 
which  he  prized  highly.  He  wore  it  attached  to  a 
riband  around  his  neck. 

Thus  Gustave  got  to  be  sixteen  years  old,  and  be- 
came a  skilful  huntsman.  As  his  adopted  father,  the 
forester,  grew  aged  and  infirm,  he  remained  much  at 
home,  and  Gustave  went  about  the  forest  alone,  ac- 
companied by  his  dogs,  with  his  trusty  gun  upon  his 
shoulder  and  his  sharp,  shining  hunting-knife  by  his 
side. 

One  day  he  was  sauntering  about  under  the  trees, 
and,  as  was  often  the  case,  with  no  thoughts  of  en- 
trapping game  —  he  let  the  stags  and  roes,  unmo- 
lested, cross  his  path, — walked  slowly  along,  sunk 
in  a  reverie,  in  which  the  little  lady  in  the  white  silk 
dress  played  a  principal  part.  He  went  on  until  he 
ascended  an  eminence  where  the  trees  were  not  so 
thick,  and  whence  he  could  look  abroad  and  survey 
the  country  all  around.  There,  under  one  of  the 
stoutest  oaks,  the  youth  saw  an  old  man  sitting  with 
several  pieces  of  snow-white  hemlock  and  linden-wood 
by  his  side,  from  which  he  was  carving  all  sorts  of 


36 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


figures  and  articles  with  his  knife.  He  had  made 
spoons  and  forks,  animals,  and  even  human  figures,  all 
fashioned  as  delicately  and  naturally  as  possible.  The 
young  huntsman  approached,  and  bidding  the  old  man 
a  friendly  good-morning,  which  was  kindly  returned, 
he  entered  into  conversation  with  him. 

"Ah!"  said  Gustave,  "you  are  carving  beautiful 
things  there,  and  they  will  bring  a  good  price  in  the 
town." 

"Yes,"  replied  the  old  man,  "I  work  here  in  the 
open  air,  with  glorious  nature  all  around  me,  for  this 
is  the  finest  and  cheapest  work-shop  that  can  be  had ; 
and  my  living  is  no  great  expense  to  me,  for  the  brook 
ripples  past  me  down  the  hill,  murmuring,  as  its  goes, 
*  Come,  old  fellow,  drink  me.'  And  then  the  straw- 
berries and  blackberries  nod  to  me  from  the  bushes, 
and  invite  me  to  dine ;  and  when  night  comes  I  draw 
my  cloak  over  my  head,  lie  down  upon  the  moss  and 
sleep,  commending  myself  to  God." 

"But,"  rejoined  the  youth,  "is  your  artistic  labour 
so  unprofitable  that  you  are  forced  to  lead  such  a 
life?" 

"Ah!  my  dear  huntsman,"  said  the  wood-carver, 
"  there  are  so  many  people  who  work  as  artistically,  as 
you  call  it,  and  even  more  so,  that  it  is  hard  to  make 
anything  by  my  labour.  But,  if  I  should  be  lucky 
enough  to  find,  for  example,  some  of  the  wood  of  the 
Elfin  Tree,  I  could  earn  something  indeed,  only  this 
tree  is  so  very  rare,  and  those  who  find  it  do  not  know 
how  to  use  it." 

"What!"  asked  the  huntsman,  "the  Elfin  Tree? 
The  name  is  an  odd  one,  and,  although  I  know  all 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


37 


the  trees  and  shrubs  in  the  forest,  I  have  never  heard 
of  it." 

"I  can  readily  believe  that,"  laughed  the  old  man, 
"People  do  not  usually  prate  about  everything  as  stu- 
pidly as  I  do.  But  your  face  is  so  honest  and  inno- 
cent that  I  seemed  to  be  speaking  to  the  open  sky,  and 
the  words  escaped  me  I  know  not  how, — forget  them." 

But  at  the  mention  of  this  wonderful  tree,  a  thrill 
shot  through  the  young  huntsman's  soul  and  awakened 
strange  desires  and  thoughts  there,  which  he  could  not 
understand.  He  was  so  desirous  to  know  something 
more  of  the  Elfin  Tree  that  he  did  not  cease  to  ques- 
tion the  old  man  until  the  latter  said,  laughing,  "Well, 
well,  you  are  a  curious  fellow,  but  as  you  look  so 
honest  and  open,  and  do  not  belong  to  my  trade,  I 
will  tell  you  all  that  I  know  of  the  Elfin  Tree, — only 
you  must  promise,"  added  the  wood-carver,  laughing, 
"  that  if  you  should  ever  be  fortunate  enough  to  find 
such  a  tree  (which  is  not  impossible,  for  huntsmen 
tramping  around  through  night  and  mist,  see  and  hear 
all  kinds  of  things),  you  will  let  me  have  some  of  the 
wood." 

After  Gustave  had  given  the  wood-carver  this  prom- 
ise, the  latter  took  a  fresh  piece  of  wood,  and,  as  he 
began  carving  a  spoon  out  of  it,  gave  the  young  hunts- 
man the  following  account : 

"  You  know  well  that,  besides  the  human  race,  there 
live  a  great  number  of  other  creatures  upon  and  under 
the  earth,  who  look  like  human  beings,  although  they 
are  a  great  deal  smaller  and  weaker  in  body.  But  in 
spirit  they  are  far  more  powerful  than  we,  and  perform 
much  which  we  mortals  would  gladly  imitate,  but 

4 


3-3 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


which  our  coarse  physical  nature  renders  impossible. 
To  these  beings  belong,  to  begin  with  the  meanest, 
the  Brownies,  a  spiteful  race,"  he  added,  in  a  low 
tone,  looking  carefully  around  him,  "  impudent,  vulgar 
creatures,  who  do  all  the  harm  they  can  to  men  and 
animals.  These  Brownies  are  called  Root-men,  for  they 
look  like  black  radishes  split  in  two  below,  and  have 
green  hair  that  grows  out  like  leaves.  After  them 
come  the  Kobolds, — crooked,  dumpy  fellows, — better 
than  the  others,  however,  for,  although  they  are  bad 
and  malicious,  it  sometimes  happens  that  they  take  a 
fancy  to  some  mortal  and  assist  him  from  time  to  time. 
These  are  followed  by  the  Dwarfs,  an  honest,  brave  race, 
but  very  capricious,  who  often  worry  both  men  and 
beasts  for  very  wantonness.  But  the  best,  noblest,  and 
most  beautiful  class  of  these  beings  are  the  Elves,  in 
whose  hearts  there  is  neither  caprice  nor  treachery,  but 
who  hover  around  the  fragrant  herbs  and  flowers  of  the 
forest  in  the  night,  and  refresh  the  soul  of  the  mortal, 
who  is  fortunate  enough  to  hear  them,  with  their  won- 
drous and  bewitching  songs.  They  hold  themselves 
aloof  from  but  do  not  fear  the  Dwarfs  and  Kobolds, 
whose  greater  brute  force  is  no  match  for  the  powerful 
magic  art  of  the  Elves.  Notwithstanding  that  the  Elves 
are  more  beautiful  and  better  than  mortals,  it  fre- 
quently happens  that  an  Elfin  maiden  becomes  enam- 
oured of  a  mortal  man  and  reveals  herself  to  him  on 
summer  nights  to  jest  and  play  with  him.  But  this1 
cannot  last  long,  for  either  the  mortal  faithlessly  for- 
sakes the  poor  Elf,  or  she  must  leave  him,  and  endure 
the  cruel  punishment  awarded  to  those  who  fall  in  love 
with  mortals.  She  is  changed  for  a  hundred  years  into  a 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


39 


tree,  and  thus  must  constantly  witness  the  merry  sports 
of  her  sisters,  who,  in  stormy  weather,  can  slip  into  their 
palaces  of  crystal,  while  she  remains  outside,  her 
tender  limbs,  which  are  only  fitted  for  clear  moon- 
light and  warm  summer  air,  exposed  to  biting  winds 
and  frosts.  These  trees  grow  in  the  most  unfrequented 
paths,  or  in  deep  abysses,  and  there  is  a  magic  circle 
drawn  around  them  which  almost  always  causes  men 
involuntarily  to  avoid  their  neighbourhood,  and  be- 
sides the  Elfin  Tree  looks  like  a  common  hemlock,  so 
that  one  might  pass  it  a  hundred  times  without  notic- 
ing it.  But  whoever  is,  by  any  chance,  fortunate 
enough  to  find  such  a  tree,  may  consider  himself  born 
under  a  lucky  star  indeed,  for  see,  my  young  huntsman, 
I  labour  hard  enough  to  carve  out  these  little  matters 
from  this  wood,  but  whoever  gets  a  piece  of  the  Elfin 
Tree  has  only  to  frame  the  wish  and  in  one  moment  he 
can  complete  whatever  figure  he  will,  be  it  man  or 
beast,  and  the  work  is  artistic  indeed.  And,  what  is 
more,"  he  added  in  a  whisper,  "the  figures  carved  out 
of  this  wood  can  come  to  life  on  Christmas-eve,  if  only 
an  evil  spell  resting  upon  them  is  removed,  and  then 
whoever  understands  questioning  them  can  discover 
whatever  he  wishes, — they  will  tell,  for  example,  where 
gold  is  to  be  found,  where  hidden  treasure  is  buried, 
and  such  like." 

The  young  huntsman  had  listened  attentively  to  this 
narrative,  and  it  may  readily  be  imagined  that  he  re- 
membered the  beautiful  little  white  lady, — as  well  as  Sir 
Nutcracker, — and  all  the  little  assemblage,  and  he 
thought  it  not  improbable  that  they  might  all  have 
been  made  out  of  the  wood  of  the  Elfin  Tree  which 


40 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


some  one  had  found  without  knowing  it.  He  hesitated 
for  awhile  whether  he  should  make  known  his  strange 
adventure  to  the  old  wood-carver,  but  at  last  determined 
to  give  him  the  history  of  that  far-off  Christmas  night, 
for  it  seemed  to  be  his  duty  to  do  so  when  the  old  man 
had  reposed  such  confidence  in  him,  in  telling  him  all 
about  the  Elfin  Tree. 

But  how  shall  I  describe  the  old  man's  astonishment 
when  Gustave  told  him  all, — how  he  had  killed  the  evil 
sorcerer,  and  how  the  whole  company  had  left  the  house 
to  go  out  into  the  world  ;  how  he  had  accompanied  them 
and  had  helped  them  to  chase  away  the  fox,  in  whose 
hole  the  whole  assemblage  had  disappeared  !  In  short, 
he  told  him  everything  most  minutely,  and  at  last  ex- 
pressed his  conviction  that  the  little  lady  in  the  white 
silk  dress  was  still  asleep  under  ground,  and  might  yet 
be  released.  When  he  had  finished,  the  old  man  sprang 
up,  shouting  for  joy,  and  embraced  the  young  hunts- 
man, while  he  assured  him  that  he  was  one  of  Fortune's 
favourites,  and  must  at  least  come  to  be  a  great  lord  in 
the  land. 

After  he  had  given  vent  to  his  joy  for  awhile,  he  sat 
down  quietly  beside  Gustave,  leaned  his  head  upon  his 
hand,  and  becoming  more  serious  said,  "Alas!  alas! 
old  fool  that  I  am,  I  forgot  that  we  shall  never  be  able 
to  bring  out  the  little  lady  from  the  earth  and  disen- 
chant her,  for  to  do  this  we  need  another  Elfin  Tree, 
which  I  am  afraid  neither  of  us  can  ever  find." 

These  words  came  like  a  thunder-clap  to  poor 
Gustave,  who  already  saw  in  imagination  the  little 
Princess  coming  forth  from  the  ground,  and  grow- 
ing larger  and  larger,  and,  before  he  knew  it,  he 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


41 


had  taken  her  in  his  arms  and  kissed  her  charming 
rosy  lips — all  in  imagination,  you  see.  But  his  dreams 
were  all  dispelled,  and  he  only  half  listened  while  the 
old  man  told  how  a  number  of  cones  from  the  Elfin 
Tree  must  be  planted  upon  the  spot  of  ground  beneath 
which  the  little  lady  was  sleeping. 

"The  first  midnight  after  they  are  planted,"  he 
said,  "there  spring  from  them  little  trees  which  grow 
no  larger  above  ground,  but  whose  roots  dive  deep 
into  the  earth  and  thrust  and  stretch  themselves  out 
far  on  every  side.  Thus  they  would  entirely  surround 
with  their  net-work  the  couch  where  the  little  lady 
sleeps,  and  the  tree  would  then  pour  out  all  the  power 
and  force,  which  it  might  have  used  in  growing  to 
be  a  lofty,  strong  tree,  upon  the  little  Princess, 
whom  it  would  thus  reanimate,  and  she  would  grow 
taller  and  lovelier,  until  she  issued  from  her  prison- 
house  of  mortal  size  and  blooming  in  the  rarest  beauty. 
Most  certainly,"  the  old  man  added,  "you  would  then 
be  the  happiest  of  men,  for  the  maiden  would  combine 
with  the  beauty  of  an  Elf,  the  constancy  and  wisdom  of 
the  Elfin  race.  The  ring  which  she  gave  you,  and  which 
you  have  kept  so  faithfully,  has  alone  protected  her, 
and  prevented  her  from  losing  her  life  with  Regent 
Nutcracker  and  the  other  figures,  and  this  ring  it  is 
which  will  bind  her  to  you  all  her  life  long." 

In  the  mean  while  the  sun  had  set  and  it  began  to  be 
very  dark  night.  So  the  huntsman  arose,  and  bidding 
the  old  man  good-night,  said  that  his  foster-parents 
were  waiting  for  him  at  home,  and  would  be  anxious  if 
he  stayed  so  late  in  the  forest.  Then  they  agreed  to 
4* 


42 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


meet  at  the  same  time  and  upon  the  same  spot  three 
days  afterwards  to  consult  how  they  might  try  to  find 
the  Elfin  Tree.  The  old  man  was  more  sanguine  than 
Gustave  and  sought  to  inspire  him  with  hope.  But  the 
latter  shook  his  head  mournfully,  and  said,  as  he  de- 
parted, "Ah,  I  must  wander  sadly  through  the  forest 
all  my  life  long,  and  shall  never  again  see  the  lovely 
little  lady  whom  I  love  so  truly  and  deeply." 

Thus  they  separated,  and  the  huntsman,  who  had  not 
remembered  how  great  was  the  distance  from  home, 
now  saw  that  he  had  so  far  to  go  that  it  would  be  very 
late  before  he  could  reach  it.  It  was  the  first  time 
that  he  had  been  alone  in  the  woods  so  late  at  night, 
and  although  he  had  no  fear  of  robbers  or  any  such 
thing,  still  he  had  on  his  way  home  to  pass  through 
a  small  but  deep  glen,  which  was  regarded  with  sus- 
picion as  not  all  right  by  the  country  people.  They 
maintained  that  the  Dwarfs  held  their  nightly  meetings 
there,  and  ill  treated  any  mortal  who  saw  them  at  such 
times.  The  huntsman  thought  of  these  stories  as  he 
strode  on  through  the  forest.  But  he  seized  his  gun 
firmly,  remembered  the  little  lady,  and  was  not  afraid. 
When  'he  had  walked  some  distance,  the  moon  rose 
slowly  upon  his  path  and  glittered  mildly  through  the 
green  boughs  before  him.  She  shone  into  his  face, 
so  that  whether  he  would  or  not  he  had  to  gaze  upon 
her  full  orb.  Thus  he  gradually  approached  the 
glen  which  the  Dwarfs  frequented,  and  soon  saw  it 
lying  dark  before  him.  He  entered  it  boldly  with- 
out fear,  and  had  nearly  passed  through  it  when  he 
heard  the  noise  of  an  axe  upon  the  hills  which  bor- 
dered his  path  upon  one  side.    Involuntarily  he  stayed 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


43 


his  footsteps  and  thought  to  himself  that  it  was  strange 
that  any  one  should  be  cutting  wood  here  so  late  at 
night.  And  then  a  suspicion  entered  his  mind  that  it 
might  be  thieves,  who  were  using  the  silence  of  night 
to  rob  his  adopted  father,  so  he  immediately  turned 
towards  the  side  whence  the  sound  proceeded  and 
began  to  ascend  the  hill.  But  when  he  had  reached 
the  spot  where  he  thought  he  should  find  the  trespasser, 
he  heard  the  sound  of  the  axe  far  beyond  him.  With- 
out stopping  to  think,  he  followed  the  noise,  and,  after 
he  had  climbed  up  and  down  several  hills,  he  became 
convinced  that  the  sound  was  much  nearer  than  before ; 
but  just  when  he  thought  that  he  could  not  possibly  be 
more  than  several  steps  from  it,  it  suddenly  ceased  and 
a  cry  was  heard  very  much  like  the  violent  weeping  of 
a  child.  The  huntsman  quickly  hurried  towards  this 
new  sound,  and  soon  stepped  out  upon  a  little  open 
spare  and  stood  chained  to  the  spot  with  wonder  at 
what  he  saw. 

In  the  midst  of  this  space  was  to  be  seen  the  stump 
of  a  tolerably  large  hemlock,  the  trunk  and  branches 
of  which  lay  cut  off  upon  the  ground ;  but  beside  the. 
stump  stood  a  Dwarf  scarcely  two  feet  high,  who  held 
a  little  axe  in  his  hand,  with  which  he  had,  as  it  seemed, 
just  cut  down  the  hemlock.  At  first  the  huntsman 
was  not  a  little  amazed  to  see  the  Dwarf  jumping  wildly 
around  the  stump  like  mad  while  he  uttered  the  above- 
mentioned  cries.  But,  upon  a  nearer  approach,  he 
found  to  his  astonishment  that  the  Dwarfs  beard,  which 
was  almost  as  long  as  his  whole  body,  was  caught  fast 
in  a  split  of  the  wood.  In  vain  the  little  man  seized 
it  with  both  hands  and  tried  to  pull  it  out,  and  as  often 


44 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


as  he  made  the  attempt  he  cried  out  aloud  and  made 
the  strangest  hops  into  the  air. 

After  the  huntsman  had  watched  the  little  fellow  for 
a  few  moments,  he  drew  near  him  and  asked  him  civilly 
how  he  came  to  this  pass.  The  Dwarf  regarded  him 
for  a  moment  with  his  little  red  eyes,  then  rolled  out 
a  shower  of  curses,  and  told  the  youth  that  it  was  not 
his  part  to  ask  such  stupid  questions,  but  to  release 
him  instantly.  In  spite  of  this  uncivil  reply,  Gustave 
was  inclined,  in  his  good  humour,  to  assist  him,  and 
with  this  purpose  picked  up  from  the  ground  a  large 
wedge,  with  which  the  Dwarf  had  apparently  attempted 
to  split  the  tree. 

Scarcely  had  the  huntsman  picked  up  the  wedge 
from  the  ground  when  the  Dwarf  cried  out  angrily  to 
him,  "Can't  you  hurry,  you  stupid,  lazy  fellow?  You 
mortals  are  good  for  nothing.  Be  quick,  or  I  will 
help  you."  At  these  last  words  the  little  man  lifted 
one  of  his  little  legs,  and  in  his  rage  kicked  at  the 
huntsman,  who,  although  he  had  thought  the  first  in- 
solent speech  made  by  the  Dwarf  excessively  ridiculous, 
was  now  provoked  at  the  little  thing's  impudence,  and 
said,  "Hearken,  little  rogue,  if  it  is  your  way  to  ask 
a  favour  in  this  style,  it  is  ours  not  to  grant  it  when  so 
asked,  and  if  you  are  not  immediately  more  quiet  and 
civil,  I've  a  great  mind  to  leave  you  where  you  are." 

Then  the  Dwarf  fell  into  an  indescribable  rage ;  his 
eyes  fairly  flashed  in  his  head ;  he  roared  out  the  most 
frightful  curses  at  the  huntsman,  and  at  last  even  seized 
his  axe  and  threw  it  at  the  head  of  the  young  man 
with  such  violence  that,  if  he  had  not  sprung  aside,  he 
would  have  been  killed.    As  it  was,  it  flew  against  the 


Then  the  Dwarf  fell  into  an  indescribable  rage 
his  head." 


his  eyes  fairly  flashed  in 


Page  44. 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


45 


trunk  of  an  oak,  in  which  it  stuck  fast  with  its  handle 
trembling. 

"Ah!"  said  the  huntsman,  "if  this  is  your  game, 
I  shall  act  accordingly."  And  then  he  drew  his  long, 
broad  hunting-knife  from  his  girdle,  upon  the  blade  of 
which  he  had,  like  a  pious  forester,  engraved  a  cross, 
and  with  the  flat  of  it  belaboured  the  little  fellow  stoutly. 

At  first  the  Dwarf's  rage  seemed  every  moment  to 
increase  at  this  summary  treatment.  He  twisted  and 
turned  like  an  eel  to  escape  the  heavy  blows ;  but, 
turn  as  he  would,  the  huntsman  knew  how  to  choose 
the  right  time  and  spot,  and  not  one  of  his  blows  went 
astray, — so  the  little  fellow  grew  quieter  by-and-by. 
From  abuse  he  fell  to  weeping,  and  before  long  he 
begged  most  movingly  that  the  huntsman  would  desist 
and  release  him. 

Gustave,  who  was  very  good-humoured,  did  desist 
at  these  entreaties,  and,  seizing  the  wedge  again,  was 
about  to  open  the  split  in  the  tree  when  the  thought 
suddenly  occurred  to  him,  "Why  cannot  I  make  it  a 
condition  of  the  Dwarf's  release  that  he  shall  show  me 
where  to  find  an  Elfin  Tree  ?"  No  sooner  thought  than 
done.  He  took  the  wedge  in  his  hand  and  told  the 
Dwarf  what  he  desired.  At  first  the  little  fellow  pre- 
tended to  know  nothing  about  it,  and  declared 
peevishly  that  he  could  not  help  him. 

"Well,"  said  the  hunter,  "if  you  will  not  tell  me 
voluntarily  where  to  find  such  a  tree,  I  will  force  you 
to  do  so,"  and  he  dropped  the  wedge  and  took  out  his 
hunting-knife  again. 

"Let  that  alone !  let  that  alone  !"  shrieked  the  Dwarf, 
in  the  greatest  distress,  when  he  saw  this  movement, 


46 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


"do  let  that  alone,  for  this  very  tree  that  is  holding  me 
fast  by  my  beautiful  beard  is  an  Elfin  Tree !" 

You  can  easily  imagine  the  joy  with  which  the  hunts- 
man let  go  his  hunting-knife,  and  once  more  took  up 
the  wedge  to  release  the  Dwarf.  He  seemed  now  near 
the  fulfilment  of  his  dearest  wishes ;  he  would  be  able 
to  reanimate  and  release  the  beautiful  little  lady.  He 
hastily  tore  the  little  axe  from  the  oak  tree,  and  with  a 
few  blows  he  had  driven  the  wedge  so  far  into  the 
hemlock  stump  that  the  Dwarf  could  pull  out  his  beard. 
But  no  sooner  had  the  little  fellow  recovered  his  lib- 
erty than,  with  a  hearty  curse,  he  sprang  into  the 
thicket  and  vanished  among  the  trees. 

Gustave  quietly  let  him  go  his  way,  while  with  the 
Dwarfs  axe  he  cut  off  a  large  block  of  the  Elfin  Tree, 
and  filled  his  pocket  with  the  most  beautiful  cones  that 
were  to  be  found  upon  the  branches  of  the  hemlock. 
Then  he  took  his  gun  upon  his  shoulder  and  went 
hastily  home. 

His  foster-parents  were  not  a  little  anxious  about 
him.  He  told  them  that  he  had  wandered  too  far 
into  the  wood,  and,  as  he  had  returned  so  cheerful  and 
bright,  they  went  to  bed  and  to  sleep  quiet  and  happy. 
Gustave,  however,  instead  of  following  their  example, 
took  the  little  terriers  who  had  formerly  dragged  forth 
Regent  Nutcracker  and  the  soldiers  from  the  fox- 
hole and  hurried  with  them  out  to  the  heath,  hoping, 
with  their  assistance,  to  find  the  spot  beneath  which 
the  beautiful  little  lady  was  sleeping.  But  he  could 
hardly  have  gained  his  end  without  the  assistance 
of  the  cones  of  the  Elfin  Tree,  for  the  dogs  ran  hither 
and  thither  over  the  plain,  while  Gustave  felt  him- 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


47 


self  impelled  by  some  invisible  power  towards  a 
certain  spot,  and  he  was  shortly  convinced  that  this 
was  the  place  he  had  so  long  sought  for. 

It  was  about  midnight  when  he  drew  out  of  his 
pocket  one  of  the  hemlock  cones  and  stuck  it  into  the 
ground.  He  still  doubted  the  success  of  his  under- 
taking, and  his  astonishment  was  great  when  he  sud- 
denly saw  a  little  hemlock  tree  spring  up  before  him, 
which,  although  only  a  few  inches  high,  was  in  every 
respect  a  perfect  miniature  full-grown  tree.  Gustave 
could  hardly  restrain  his  joy  when  he  saw  thus  how 
near  was  the  deliverance  of  the  beautiful  little  lady. 

After  three  days,  he  set  out  to  find  the  wood-carver 
at  the  appointed  time  and  place.  But  first  he  searched 
through  the  wood  to  try  to  find  the  place  where  he  had 
released  the  Dwarf,  that  he  might  procure  some  more 
of  the  wonderful  wood  of  the  Elfin  Tree.  But,  although 
he  found  the  place  again,  he  could  see  nothing  where 
the  stump  had  stood  but  a  dirty  little  swamp  filled  with 
frogs  and  other  reptiles,  who  lifted  their  heads  and 
croaked  at  him.  He  turned  quickly  away  and  sought 
the  opening  in  the  forest  where  he  had  met  the  old 
man,  and  where  he  now  met  him  again.  The  wood- 
carver  was  very  melancholy,  and  informed  him  that,  in 
spite  of  all  his  exertions,  he  had  been  unable  to  find 
any  clue  to  where  he  should  find  an  Elfin  Tree.  He 
told  Gustave,  however,  that  he  had  visited  the  mer- 
chant's house  in  the  town,  where  he  had  found,  among 
some  other  toys,  a  Nutcracker,  who  was  apparently  the 
same  who  had  come  to  life  on  that  Christmas-eve.  He 
drew  him  out,  and  Gustave  recognized  him  instantly. 
But  how  was  the  noble  Nutcracker  altered  !    His  red 


48 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


breeches  had  become  black,  his  spurs  were  broken  off, 
and  his  sabre  was  entirely  gone ;  and,  although  his 
mouth  was  as  large  as  ever,  those  long,  sharp  teeth 
which  had  so  adorned  it  were  gone,  broken  out,  and, 
when  Gustave  lifted  his  queue,  he  found  that  his  jaw 
was  fixed  and  could  not  be  closed  again. 

Gustave  purposely  waited  for  awhile  before  he  told 
the  old  man  what  had  happened  to  him  within  the 
last  three  days.  How  great  was  the  wood-carver's  joy 
when  he  heard  it  all !  He  sprang  up,  fell  upon  the 
young  huntsman's  neck,  and  when  the  latter  drew 
forth  the  block  of  the  Elfin  Tree  the  old  man  seized  it, 
put  it  into  his  pouch,  and  promised  shortly,  when  they 
were  needed,  to  make  the  most  beautiful  things  out  of  it. 

And  now  the  pair  consulted  what  was  further  to  be 
done,  and  the  wood-carver  told  the  huntsman  that  he 
must  let  the  little  hemlock  tree,  sprung  from  the  cone, 
grow  quietly,  until  after  a  certain  time  it  would  sud- 
denly begin  to  shoot  up  into  the  air,  and  "then  the 
third  night  afterwards  -it  will  disclose  an  opening  in  its 
roots  and  give  free  egress  to  the  enchanted  Princess. 
And  when  this  shall  take  place  I  will  return,  wherever 
I  may  be  at  the  time,  for  the  smallest  splinter  of  the 
Elfin  Tree  will  warn  me  exactly  of  the  hour. ' ' 

After  this  consultation  they  shook  hands,  and,  taking 
a  cordial  leave  of  each  other,  one  went  one  way  and 
the  other  another. 

Just  about  this  time  the  adopted  father  of  the  young 
huntsman  often  declared  to  his  sister  that  it  was  time 
to  look  about  for  a  wife  for  Gustave,  and  the  old 
man  insisted  that  she  must  possess  every  possible 
good  quality :  she  must  be  clever  and  beautiful,  and, 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


49 


besides,  the  forester  thought  that  it  would  do  no  harm 
if  she  should  be  provided  with  some  money.  But  he 
had  never  been  able  to  find  such  a  one,  for  when  now 
and  then  he  had  taken  a  fancy  to  one  of  the  neigh- 
bours' daughters  and  mentioned  the  matter  to  her 
parents,  they  always  replied,  "Yes,  my  dear  friend, 
we  should  not  oppose  such  an  arrangement  if  the 
young  huntsman  were  really  your  son,  but  we  should 
not  like  to  give  our  daughter  to  any  one  so  entirely 
without  birth  and  parentage."  This  would  vex  the  old 
man,  and  he  would  go  home  and  tell  it  all  to  his  sister 
and  Gustave.  But  the  young  man  would  always  smile 
and  say,  "Ah,  dearest  father,  take  no  trouble  on  my 
account,  I  shall  find  what  God  has  destined  for  me." 
And  with  these  words  he  would  cast  a  stolen  glance 
through  the  window  towards  the  heath  where  the  little 
hemlock  tree  stood,  which,  however,  had  not  yet 
begun  to  grow  tall. 

Several  months  had  passed  since  he  had  seen  the 
wood-carver,  and  the  leaves  of  the  trees  began  to  grow 
yellow  and  fall  off,— thick  mists,  too,  shrouded  the 
forest  in  the  mornings  and  evenings,  and  the  huntsmen 
were  busied  with  the  chase  all  day  long.  But,  how- 
ever weary  Gustave  might  be  when  returning  home  in 
the  evening,  he  never  failed  to  cross  the  heath  and 
look  after  his  little  hemlock  tree.  Thus  November 
passed.  December  came,  and  the  people  of  the  town 
sent  every  day  to  the  foresters  for  hemlocks  for  Christ- 
mas-trees. The  young  huntsman,  in  whose  faithful 
breast  the  image  of  the  lovely  lady  in  the  white 
silk  dress  was  more  vivid  than  ever,  hoped  for  a  gift 
under  his  hemlock  tree.  He  went  out  upon  the  heath 
D  5 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


to  watch  it  several  times  a  day,  and  great  indeed  was 
his  joy  when,  three  days  before  Christmas,  he  found 
that  it  had  grown  at  least  a  foot. 

And  now  scarcely  an  hour  of  the  day  passed  without 
his  watching  it,  and  the  boughs  and  branches  grew  and 
spread  almost  perceptibly  before  his  eyes.  Thus  the 
holy  Christmas-eve  approached.  The  old  huntsman  told 
his  foster-son,  with  a  sly  smile,  that  he  had  better  go 
out  into  the  forest  and  attend  to  something  that  needed 
care.  Gustave,  who  knew  that  this  was  because  the  old 
man  wished  to-night  to  prepare  for  him,  as  on  every 
previous  year,  a  Christmas  surprise,  said  to  himself, 
with  a  quiet  smile,  "Please  God,  I  shall  present  you 
this  evening  with  a  gift  that  will  delight  you  indeed," 
and  with  a  heart  full  of  expectation,  love,  and  rapture, 
he  hastened  out  upon  the  heath. 

The  old  forester,  with  his  sister,  went  into  the  guest- 
chamber,  which  was  furnished  with  large  carved  tables 
and  chairs,  and  its  walls  hung  with  huge  stags'  antlers. 
There  stood  a  tall  hemlock  covered  with  candles,  and 
stuck  in  the  top  of  it  fluttered  and  waved  two  large 
golden  flags.  Under  the  tree  the  forester's  sister 
placed  a  beautiful  new  huntsman's  dress  and  a  new  rifle 
richly  mounted  and  inlaid  with  silver.  Without,  the 
north  wind  howled  through  the  branches  of  the  trees, 
and  the  mountain-brooks  made  strange  murmurings. 
Then  suddenly  the  forester  put  his  hand  to  his  ear,  for 
he  seemed  to  hear  the  wheels  of  a  distant  carriage. 

"Hark!"  he  said  to  his  sister,  "do  you  hear 
nothing  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  even  at  this  late  hour  a 
carriage  is  driving  up  the  broad  forest -pathway. 

Then  the  sister  hastened  to  the  window.    The  noise 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


51 


of  wheels  drew  nearer,  and  she  cried  out,  "You  are 
right — look  !  there  comes  a  carriage  through  the  forest, 
and  it  is  coming  directly  here.  Now  it  is  stopping  at 
the  gate.    Who  can  it  be  ?' ' 

Then  the  door  of  the  room  was  thrown  open,  and 
Gustave  entered,  leading  by  the  hand  a  beautiful  lady, 
who  wore  a  white  silk  dress,  and  upon  her  head  a 
myrtle  wreath  with  a  long,  flowing  veil. 

"Look,  father!"  cried  the  young  huntsman,  joy- 
fully, "  this  is  my  lovely  bride,  whom  I  hope  you  will 
welcome  as  a  daughter." 

The  maiden  was  so  lovely  and  charming  to  behold, 
that  the  old  forester  and  his  sister  when  they  took  her 
by  the  hand  knew  not  what  to  say.  And,  when  the 
maiden  spoke,  her  voice  sounded  like  silver  bells,  and 
she  said,  "  I  pray  you  receive  me  and  let  me  be  your 
dear  daughter."  So  they  were  too  much  delighted  to 
think  who  she  was  or  whence  she  came,  but  they  wept 
tears  of  joy  and  embraced  her  most  tenderly. 

In  the  midst  of  their  rejoicing,  Gustave  thought  of 
his  friend,  the  old  wood-carver,  and  regretted  that  he 
was  not  present.  But,  accidentally  looking  out  of  the 
window,  he  saw  a  man  in  tne  moonlight  coming  across 
the  hill  in  front  of  the  forester's  dwelling,  carrying 
upon  his  back  a  basket,  which  he  put  down  and  began 
to  unpack,  as  though  he  were  about  to  distribute  Christ- 
mas gifts  among  the  animals  in  the  forest.  The  young 
huntsman  saw  with  astonishment  that  he  took  out  and 
placed  upon  the  ground  a  pretty  little  castle,  whose 
neat  windows  were  suddenly  illuminated  from  within. 
Then  the  man  arose  and  approached  the  forester's 
house  with  hasty  strides,  and,  as  he  did  so,  Gustave 


52 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


saw,  to  his  great  delight,  that  it  was  his  friend,  the 
wood-carver.  But  how  can  I  describe  his  surprise  and 
wonder  when  he  saw  that,  as  this  old  friend  left  the 
castle  behind  him,  the  little  toy  grew  larger  and  larger, 
and  at  last  became  a  stately  edifice  !  The  windows 
glowed  with  thousands  of  lights  burning  inside ;  great 
torches  of  pitch  were  blazing  at  the  gates,  before 
which  stood  soldiers  with  bear-skin  caps  and  their 
guns  upon  their  shoulders.  And  how  the  wood-carver 
opened  the  forester's  door,  and,  seeing  the  beautiful 
young  maiden,  he  made  a  low  bow,  and  then  em- 
braced the  young  huntsman,  saying,  "I  see  with  de- 
light that  you  have  removed  the  evil  spell.  I  have 
done  my  part,  and  used  the  Elfin  wood  which  you  gave 
me  to  the  best  advantage."  And  then  he  pointed 
through  the  window  to  the  beautiful  castle. 

The  old  forester  did  not  know  what  to  say  for  very 
joy,  and,  when  all  went  out  and  ascended  the  hill  to 
visit  the  new  and  splendid  castle,  he  thought  he  was 
dreaming  a  lovely  dream.  Everything  here  was  as 
finely  ordered  and  as  well  arranged  as  in  the  palace  of 
the  mightiest  king.  The  young  huntsman  thought  he 
recognized  old  acquaintances  in  the  soldiers  with  bear- 
skin caps,  who  presented  arms  before  his  bride  and 
himself  at  the  castle-gates,  and  the  tall  huntsman  who 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  steps  and  tore  open  the  great 
doors  seemed  also  strangely  familiar.  But  when  the> 
came  to  the  grand  staircase  leading  to  the  splendid 
apartments,  the  young  huntsman,  who  was  now  called 
Prince  Gustave,  laughed  aloud,  for  there  stood  Regent 
Nutcracker  as  large  as  life  with  two  silver  candlesticks 
in  his  hands.    He  made  a  low  bow  and  announced 


THE  ELFIN  TREE. 


53 


that  he  was  the  chief  Steward,  and  hoped  to  win  their 
Graces'  favour.  His  dress,  which  had  been  very  much 
spoiled  by  the  merchant's  children,  had  been  repaired 
as  well  as  possible.  But  the  spurs  and  sabre  were  gone, 
and,  instead  of  a  hat,  he  wore  a  coloured  cap  trimmed 
with  bells,  which  jingled  merrily. 

And  now  all  ascended  the  grand  staircase,  and  the 
marriage  was  celebrated  with  great  pomp,  and  they  all 
lived  together  many,  many  years  in  peace  and  happi- 
ness,— indeed  they  must  be  living  still,  if  they  have 
not  died  since. 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


Once  upon  a  time  there  lived  a  man,  a  weaver  by 
trade,  who  was  accustomed  to  procure  from  the  mer- 
chants of  the  town  where  he  dwelt  quantities  of  raw 
material  in  silk  and  wool,  which  he  wove  at  his  own 
house  into  beautiful  fabrics.  But  as  life  in  a  town, 
although  ever  so  economic**1  and  in  the  poorest  hovel, 
was  too  expensive  for  his  small  means,  he  looked  about 
for  a  dwelling  somewhere  else,  and  found  one  at  last, 
which,  although  wretched  and  poverty-stricken  enough 
in  appearance,  afforded  him  at  least  a  shelter  from 
wind  and  weather. 

This  dwelling  stood  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  vil- 
lage near  the  city,  and  was  a  rickety  little  hut,  jutting 
out  from  the  side  of  an  old  stone  wall,  which  had  been 
part,  in  old  times,  it  was  said,  of  a  dungeon,  and  had 
belonged  to  an  extensive  castle,  whose  ruins  were  yet 
to  be  seen  in  an  adjacent  field.  Close  to  this  dungeon 
wall,  the  village  shepherd  had,  some  time  before  the 
beginning  of  our  story,  built  a  small  house  and  lived  in 
it,  that  he  might  be  near  his  flock  who  found  excellent 
pasturage  among  the  ruins,  where  rich  grass  and  weeds 
grew  luxuriantly  between  the  black,  crumbling  stones. 

(54) 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


55 


But  the  shepherd  had  not  lived  there  long  when  very 
odd  circumstances  forced  him  to  abandon  his  little 
dwelling.  Sometimes,  for  instance,  in  the  middle  of 
the  night  there  would  be  such  an  uproar  and  com- 
motion among  his  sheep,  lying  partly  around  his 
hut  and  partly  in  the  court-yard  of  the  ruined  castle, 
that  one  would  have  supposed  a  dozen  wolves  -to  be 
loose  among  them.  The  poor  animals  would  bleat  most 
piteously  and  rush  hither  and  thither  in  the  wildest 
terror,  and  away  through  the  fields  wherever  they 
could  find  an  opening  in  the  old  walls.  Then  the 
shepherd  was  obliged  to  whistle  and  call  to  them  with 
all  his  might,  but  the  animals,  usually  so  docile  and 
obedient  to  his  call,  would  no  longer  listen  to  him. 
In  their  flight  they  often  missed  their  way  and  would, 
at  times,  fall  and  perish  miserably  among  the  ruins. 
The  shepherd's  dogs,  that  often  battled  with  and  drove 
away  the  wolves  from  the  sheep  in  the  daytime,  when 
this  uproar  began  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  put  their 
tails  between  their  legs,  howling  with  terror,  and 
neither  coaxing  nor  blows  could  induce  them  to  go 
among  the  sheep  and  restore  order.  The  shepherd,  by 
no  means  a  timorous  man,  was  driven  to  desperation  by 
the  loss  of  his  sheep,  and  being,  of  course,  wakeful  and 
on  the  watch  at  night,  would  rush  out  of  his  hut  at  the 
first  beginning  of  the  tumult,  which  usually  took  place 
on  a  moonlight  night.  But  although  it  was  so  light  that 
everything  around  showed  clear  and  distinct,  he  could 
never  discover  either  man  or  beast  to  terrify  his  flock. 
And  yet  it  seemed  to  him  sometimes  that,  while  he  was 
running  hither  and  thither  among  the  sheep,  he  could 
now  and  then  hear  a  low  laugh,  or  a  faint  halloo,  like  the 


56 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


distant  shout  of  the  hunters  when  they  are  following 
the  chase  in  the  forest. 

After  several  of  the  villagers,  who  at  first  were  sus- 
picious of  the  shepherd  when  their  sheep  were  lost,  had 
shared  his  nightly  watch  with  him,  and  had  seen  the 
strange  commotion  among  the  flock  with  their  own 
eyes  upon  many  a  moonlight  night  and  heard  the  faint 
shouts  and  laughter  with  their  own  ears,  they  became 
convinced  that  it  was  all  the  work  of  the  Brownies  or 
Dwarfs,  who  had  from  time  immemorial  inhabited  the 
neighbouring  rocks  and  caves,  and  who  were  thus 
having  a  hunt  for  their  own  pleasure  at  the  expense 
of  the  poor  shepherd.  This  was  not  the  first  time  that 
they  had  come  forth  and  teased  and  annoyed  human 
beings  by  their  pranks  and  tricks.  They  had  been  seen 
many  a  time  by  the  old  and  young  of  the  village  as 
they  went  to,  or  returned  from,  the  yearly  fair  in  the 
neighbouring  town,  or  when  they  took  some  little 
journey  into  the  surrounding  country.  On  these  occa- 
sions they  often  had  to  go  through  little  green  glades 
in  the  forest,  carpeted  with  fresh  moss  and  encompassed 
by  ancient  oaks.  When  in  the  midst  of  such  a  place  a 
single  great  tree  stood  with  spreading  branches,  form- 
ing a  leafy  tower,  it  was  sure  to  be  a  resort  of  the 
Brownies,  and  they  would  come  here  in  crowds  when 
the  first  rays  of  the  full  moon  shone  over  the  hills,  to 
have  a  dance  and  to  feast.  Old  hunters,  who,  in  pur- 
suing a  stag,  had  often  been  near  these  places  late  at 
night,  would  tell  of  the  tricks  and  dances  of  the  little 
people,  and  could  not  say  enough  of  their  grace  and 
wonderful  agility.  But  such  an  unbidden  spectator  had 
to  lie  perfectly  quiet  in  some  place  of  concealment,  for 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


57 


if  the  sharp  eyes  and  ears  of  the  Dwarfs  detected  him, 
they  would  stop  their  revels  instantly  and  vanish 
through  the  air,  making  a  noise  in  their  flight  like  that 
of  a  swarm  of  bees  hovering  over  a  field  of  flowers. 

Sometimes  it  happened,  when  an  inquisitive  ob- 
server incautiously  approached  too  near  the  little 
people,  that  while  the  Dwarfs  were  vanishing,  he 
was  so  cuffed  and  boxed  on  the  ear  by  invisible 
hands  that  he  fell,  stunned,  to  the  ground,  and 
awoke  the  next  morning  with  his  face  covered  with 
bruises  all  black  and  blue. 

For  a  long  time  the  Dwarfs  conducted  their  revels 
at  a  distance  from  the  habitations  of  mankind.  But, 
as  many  of  the  forests  had  been  thinned  out  and 
most  of  the  fine  old  trees  cut  down,  they  selected  the 
ruins  for  their  haunt,  for  the  nature  of  the  place 
offered  no  temptation  to  the  greed  of  avaricious 
men.  Here  it  was  very  difficult  to  see  them  in 
their  nightly  dances,  for,  since  they  had  been  driven 
from  their  quiet  forest-glades,  they  had  grown  more 
prudent,  and  were  seldom  visible  to  human  eyes  when 
they  danced,  and  the  example  of  mortals  had  taught 
them  to  be  more  malicious,  so  that  it  rarely  happened 
that  any  one  was  able  to  watch  them  unobserved. 
Thus  faith  in  the  existence  of  the  little  people  had 
grown  somewhat  dim,  and  even  if  some  inquisitive 
fellow  showed  his  bruises  in  the  morning  and  told  of 
his  adventures  with  the  Brownies,  the  villagers  laughed 
at  him  and  declared  that  his  face  was  bruised  by  the 
cover  of  the  beer-can. 

But  the  shepherd's  experience  again  drew  attention 
to  the  little  men,  and  the  owners  of  the  sheep,  who  had 


58 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


lost  quite  a  number,  decided  that  they  must  resign  the 
field  to  the  Dwarfs,  and  leave  them  undisturbed  in  the 
old  ruin,  their  place  of  refuge.  Accordingly  the  shep- 
herd left  his  hut  and  took  his  flock  elsewhere,  and  the 
Dwarfs  soon  showed  that  they  were  not  in  the  least 
implacable,  for,  as  soon  as  they  were  left  to  pursue 
their  midnight  revels  undisturbed  by  the  bleating  and 
trampling  of  the  sheep,  they,  by  their  magic  arts, 
caused  the  flock  to  thrive  and  increase,  so  that  those 
villagers  who  had  suffered  loss  were  soon  amply  in- 
demnified. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  shepherd's  hut  stood  empty, 
and,  although  it  had  never  been  in  a  very  habitable 
condition,  it  was  now  worse  than  ever.  The  windows 
were  broken,  and  the  sun,  moon,  wind,  and  rain  pene- 
trated into  both  rooms.  But  the  walls,  which  were 
built  of  sods,  were  firmer  than  before,  for  the  sods  had 
grown  together,  and  there  was  such  a  thicket  of  weeds 
and  garden  vegetables  all  around  that  from  a  distance 
the  place  looked  like  a  great,  green  bird's-nest,  and,  in 
memory  of  the  little  people,  the  villagers  called  it 
the  "Dwarfs'  Nest,"  and  the  neighbouring  ruin  the 
"Dwarfs'  Castle." 

Thus  the  house  had  been  standing  for  some  years 
empty,  when  the  weaver,  of  whom  you  have  heard 
above,  returned  home  after  a  long  absence  from  the 
place  of  his  birth.  As  all  his  near  relatives  and  friends 
had  died  in  the  mean  time,  and  his  parents  had  be- 
come very  poor  before  their  death,  the  distant  relatives 
of  the  young  man,  who  were  still  living,  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  him,  and  not  one  could  be  found 
torho  would  even  rent  him  a  small  room,  where  he 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


59 


might  set  up  his  loom  and  support  himself  by  the  work 
of  his  hands.  They  had  another  ground  for  their  be- 
haviour. The  weaver's  father,  who  had  been  a  game- 
keeper had  married  a  collier's  daughter,  who  was 
skilled  in  the  knowledge  of  healing-herbs,  and  had, 
therefore,  been  shunned  and  maligned  by  everybody 
as  a  witch,  although  she  had  never  done  any  harm  to 
any  one.  This  reputation  her  son  shared,  for  the 
women  of  the  village  had  always  regarded  him,  when 
a  boy,  with  envy,  because,  while  their  own  children 
were  often  sick  and  puny,  the  game-keeper's  son, 
little  Conrad,  rejoiced  in  robust  health  and  strength, 
and  was  the  handsomest  boy  that  could  be  imagined. 
As  his  parents  had  fortunately  lived  long  enough  to 
provide  for  him  during  his  long  apprenticeship  to  a 
master  -  weaver  in  the  town  until  he  started  on  his 
travels  as  a  journeyman,  he  had  needed  nothing,  and 
had  never  been  obliged  to  maintain  himself.  But 
scarcely  had  these  good  people  received  two  or  three 
letters  from  him  in  his  first  absence  after  the  well- 
spent  period  of  his  apprenticeship — letters  that  told 
how  content  his  present  master  was  with  him  and 
his  work — when  they  died,  leaving  their  son  nothing, 
for  their  little  furniture  was  seized  by  their  avaricious 
neighbours  to  defray  the  funeral  expenses. 

At  last  Conrad,  having  learned  much  of  men  and 
manners  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  returned,  and 
wished  to  set  up  his  loom  in  his  native  village. 
But,  as  we  have  said  before,  no  one  would  have 
anything  to  do  with  him,  and  if  that  love  which  is 
common  to  all  for  the  place  of  one's  birth  had  not 
bound  him  to  this  village,  and  prevented  him  frona 


6o 


THE  DWARF'S  NEST. 


leaving  the  place  where  his  parents  were  buried,  he 
would  have  turned  his  back  upon  his  home  on  the 
first  day  of  his  arrival  there  and  gone  out  anew  into 
the  world.  As  it  was,  he  went  to  every  house  in  the 
place  seeking  a  lodging,  and  was  sometimes  turned 
away  and  refused  with  harsh  words  and  abuse.  Some 
of  these  people  told  him  that  there  was  only  one  place 
fit  for  him — the  Dwarfs'  Nest, — the  Dwarfs  would 
probably  allow  him  to  rent  the  Dwarfs'  Nest  if  he 
would  offer  sufficiently  high  payment  for  lodgings 
there.  Without  heeding  these  insults,  the  weaver  sud- 
denly remembered  the  little  hut  in  which  he  had  often 
played  as  a  boy,  and  which,  upon  his  entrance  into  the 
village,  he  had  recognized  at  the  foot  of  the  dungeon- 
wall,  with  its  green  sides  and  roof,  and  he  thought  that 
perhaps,  after  all,  he  could  not  do  better  than  follow 
the  counsel  that  these  hard-hearted  people  had  mali- 
ciously given  him. 

He  hastily  turned  his  steps  towards  the  hovel,  and, 
opening  the  mouldering  door,  which  at  first  offered 
some  resistance  to  his  efforts,  he  saw,  to  his  great  joy, 
that,  although  the  interior  of  the  hut  was  somewhat 
ruinous,  it  could  easily  be  repaired  at  the  cost  of  some 
labour  and  pains.  He  immediately  began  to  clear  out 
of  it  the  leaves,  dust,  and  decayed  wood,  and  then 
went  to  town  and  brought  back  some  of  his  friends, 
who  were  carpenters,  glaziers,  and  slaters  by  trade, 
and  with  their  help  the  Dwarfs'  Nest  soon  presented  a 
most  comfortable  appearance,  and  Conrad  was  de- 
lighted to  set  up  his  loom  ready  for  work. 

The  evil-minded  men  in  the  village  regarded  these 
proceedings  and  alterations  with  no  small  amazement, 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


61 


laughing  in  their  sleeves  and  rejoicing  at  the  same  time 
that  poor  Conrad  would  soon  have  to  move  away  again 
as  soon  as  the  Dwarfs  discovered  his  presence.  Al- 
though the  weaver  himself  remembered  the  legends 
which  he  had  often  heard  in  his  boyhood  concerning 
the  Dwarfs'  Nest,  yet  he  had  travelled  much  since  that 
time,  and  as,  in  his  wanderings,  nothing  strange  or  un- 
accountable had  ever  happened  to  him,  he  had  gradually 
lost  all  faith  in  such  stories,  and  thought  of  everything 
else  during  his  first  night  in  his  little  dwelling  rather 
than  Dwarfs,  who  could  come  and  disturb  him  there. 
It  was  a  very  clear  night,  with  a  full  moon  shining, 
but  his  thoughts  would  not  allow  him  to  sleep  much. 
He  heard  the  church-clock  in  the  village  strike  hour 
after  hour,  and  at  last  twelve  strokes  announced  that 
midnight  had  arrived.  And  now  he  seriously  deter- 
mined to  go  to  sleep,  turned  on  his  side,  and  was  just 
shutting  his  eyes  when  he  heard  a  faint  hemming  and 
coughing  in  the  room.  He  opened  his  eyes  wide,  and 
who  shall  describe  his  astonishment  when  he  saw  be- 
side him  a  little  man,  scarcely  a  span  high,  dressed  in 
a  leather-coloured  doublet,  breeches,  black  stockings, 
and  shoes  fastened  with  silver  buckles  so  enormous,  in 
comparison  with  the  rest  of  his  figure,  that  one  could 
hardly  understand  how  the  little  fellow  could  walk  with 
them ! 

At  first  the  weaver  thought  he  must  be  dreaming,  and 
rubbed  his  eyes  to  awaken  himself.  However,  upon  col- 
lecting his  thoughts  he  became  convinced  that  he  was 
thoroughly  awake.  In  the  mean  time  the  little  man 
walked  up  and  down  the  room,  looked  at  the  new 
wooden  furniture,  and  jumping  with  one  leap  upon  the 

6 


62 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


window-seat,  tapped  the  new,  clear  window  panes  with 
a  little  stick  that  he  carried  in  his  hand,  and  smiled  in 
a  satisfied  manner.  The  cleanliness  of  the  floor  also, 
and  the  fresh  white  walls,  seemed  to  please  him,  for  he 
nodded  his  little  head,  and  gave  expression  to  his  satis- 
faction by  a  kind  of  murmuring  noise.  The  weaver, 
regarding  all  this  with  astonishment,  sat  up  in  bed, 
and  tried  to  inform  the  little  man  of  his  presence 
by  coughing  and  clearing  his  throat.  But  the  little 
fellow  at  first  took  no  notice  of  him,  except  to  wave  his 
hand  towards  him,  as  if  to  say,  "In  a  moment,  in  a 
moment,"  and  then  pursued  his  investigations.  At 
last,  however,  he  appeared  to  have  finished  his~  exam- 
ination of  the  room,  and  with  one  jump  he  sprang  upon 
the  table  by  the  side  of  the  weaver's  bed,  and  seated 
himself  comfortably  upon  a  big  piece  of  bread,  from 
which  he  now  and  then  broke  off  a  crumb  and  put 
it  into  his  mouth.  And  then,  after  Dwarf  and  man 
had  regarded  each  other  curiously  for  a  few  moments, 
the  former  said  in  a  shrill,  squeaking  voice,  while  he 
gave  another  glance  around  the  room,  "We  are  glad, 
my  friend,  to  have  procured  a  tenant  who  has  put 
everything  into  such  good  order,  and  if  you  will  only 
fulfil  to  our  satisfaction  the  conditions,  which  we,  as 
owners  of  this  house,  impose  upon  you,  I  hope  we  shall 
always  live  happily  together."  The  weaver,  who  had 
never  expected  to  pay  any  rent  for  the  ruinous  old 
Dwarfs'  Nest,  pricked  up  his  ears,  and  taking  great  care 
not  to  offend  one  of  these  dreaded  beings,  asked 
modestly  what  the  conditions  were  of  which  his  new 
landlord  spoke.  The  Dwarf  in  a  few  words  told  him 
the  story  of  the  shepherd,  whose  stupid  flock  had  an- 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


63 


noyed  and  worried  his  people  beyond  description,  and 
added,  that  the  little  men  had  driven  the  shepherd 
from  the  Dwarfs'  Nest,  not  from  any  dislike  to  the 
human  race,  but  that  they  might  have  some  peace  in 
their  place  of  assemblage.  Conrad,  encouraged  by  the 
friendly  address  and  good-humoured  smile  of  the  little 
man,  recovered  from  his  first  amazement,  and  replied 
that  he  was  delighted  indeed  to  make  such  a  distin- 
guished acquaintance  so  entirely  unexpectedly,  and 
that  he  only  hoped  that  the  rent  of  his  new  dwelling 
would  be  such  as  he  could  pay,  for,  to  tell  the  truth, 
silver  or  gold  he  had  none.  The  Dwarf  broke  off  a 
large  piece  of  bread  for  himself,  and  replied  with  a 
smile,  "The  worthless  articles  that  you  mention  can  be 
of  no  manner  of  use  to  us.  We  possess  jewels  and  gold 
in  such  overflowing  measure  that  I  suppose  you  would 
consider  us  a  wealthy  people.  But  we  need  many 
things  that  we  can  only  obtain  through  the  assistance 
of  kind-hearted,  industrious  men.  We  have  watched 
you  from  your  childhood,  and  have  seen  with  pleasure 
that  you  have  preserved  your  heart  free  from  guile  and 
deceit,  and  this  is  an  additional  reason  why  we  have 
not  opposed  your  taking  possession  of  the  house.  We 
Dwarfs  know  how  to  prize  mortal  excellence,  and  we 
seek  the  society  of  men  who  are  pious,  honest,  and 
industrious,  rather  than  of  those  (of  whom,  by  the  way, 
the  shepherd  was  one)  who  are  in  every  way  the  re- 
verse. Continue,  then,  to  be  as  industrious  as  hereto- 
fore, labour  quietly  to  maintain  yourself,  and  our  aid 
?nd  counsel  shall  not  be  wanting.  But  now  listen  to  the 
conditions  of  which  I  spoke,  and  which  are,  that  every 
month  when  the  moon  is  at  the  full  you  shall  give  us 


64 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


entire  possession  of  your  house  and  furniture,  and  even 
of  your  loom.  Do  not  intrude  upon  us  at  such  times, 
but  shut  yourself  up  in  your  room,  and  we  will  take 
care  that  so  deep  a  slumber  shall  overcome  you  as  shall 
prevent  you  from  hearing  the  noise  of  our  work." 

At  the  last  words  the  countenance  of  the  Dwarf  grew 
very  grave,  and  he  concluded  his  address  by  saying, 
"  Remember  not  to  be  so  silly  as  to  try  and  observe  us 
at  work,  and  remember  too,  that  only  as  long  as  your 
heart  is  free  from  the  common  vices  of  mortals  are  we 
able  to  send  sleep  to  you.  It  is  not  in  our  power  to 
banish  the  thoughts  of  evil  deeds  or  to  free  you  from 
the  stings  of  a  guilty  conscience." 

The  weaver  listened  to  all  this  quietly,  and  rejoiced 
to  find  that  the  rent  was  one  he  could  so  easily  pay;  he 
cordially  shook  hands  with  the  Dwarf,  promising  to  do 
all  in  his  power  to  ensure  the  little  people  from  dis- 
turbance during  their  occupations. 

The  agreement  thus  concluded,  the  little  fellow 
jumped  down  from  the  bed,  gave  the  young  man  a 
friendly  smile,  and  disappeared.  The  weaver  then  laid 
down  and  slept  until  morning.  The  next  day  he  took 
his  first  journey  to  town  to  procure  work,  and  it  seemed 
as  though  already  the  Dwarfs  were  assisting  him,  for 
the  first  merchant  to  whom  he  applied  gave  him  an 
encouraging  reception ;  and  after  the  foreman  of  the 
establishment  had  proved  him  and  found  that  the  young 
man  really  understood  weaving,  his  name  was  written 
in  a  big  book,  and  a  quantity  of  silk  and  wool  was 
given  to  him  that  he  might  weave  it  into  a  fine  piece 
of  cloth.  Arrived  at  home,  the  weaver  went  diligently 
to  work,  and  never  had  he  been  able  to  accomplish  so 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


65 


much ;  his  progress  astonished  even  himself.  The  little 
accidents  which  will  happen,  even  to  those  most  skilled 
in  weaving,  occurred  only  very  seldom ;  his  threads 
rarely  broke,  and  never  became  tangled.  When  he  sat 
down  at  his  wheel  to  wind  his  spools,  he  was  amazed 
to  see  them  whirl  around  as  swift  as  lightning,  and  yet 
the  wool  and  silk  lay  as  evenly  upon  them  as  though 
they  were  wound  slowly  and  with  the  greatest  care. 
When  the  moon  appeared  in  the  heavens  like  a  sickle, 
and  began  to  increase,  he  knew  that  the  night  was  ap- 
proaching when  his  rent  was  to  be  paid  by  his  leaving 
his  house  to  the  Dwarfs,  and  then  he  took  good  care  to 
arrange  matters  so  that  his  work  was  finished  for  the 
merchant  in  the  town,  and  he  exerted  himself  to  put 
his  loom  into  good  order  that  the  little  men  might 
nave  no  reason  to  complain  of  him. 

On  the  nights  when  the  moon  was  full  he  would  sit 
at  his  window  in  the  twilight  and  look  out  upon  the 
landscape  where  the  blue  mists  rose  slowly,  listening  to 
the  song  of  the  crickets  in  the  grass,  and  enjoying  the 
lovely  view,  until  the  heavens  around  the  Dwarfs'  Nest 
grew  brighter  and  the  full  moon  appeared.  Then  he 
would  betake  himself  to  his  bed,  and,  as  he  was  troubled 
by  no  evil  thoughts,  he  would  soon  fall  asleep.  Some- 
times he  thought  that  just  before  sleep  overcame  him  he 
could  hear  a  strange  noise  and  humming,  but  as  he  was 
not  inquisitive  by  nature  he  did  not  trouble  himself 
about  it,  but  was  soon  sound  asleep.  When  he  arose 
in  the  morning  after  such  a  night,  and  went  to  his  loom, 
he  could  always  see  that  the  Dwarfs  had  been  at  work 
there,  for  here  and  there  between  the  bands  and  the 
6* 

E 


66 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


wheels  a  little  piece  of  silk  of  an  odd  colour  would  be 
found  sticking,  and  two  or  three  threads  of  gold  would 
be  lying  about  the  floor;  and  once  on  the  weaver's  beam, 
upon  which  the  completed  cloth  is  wound,  he  found  a 
narrow  strip  of  stuff,  which  the  Dwarfs  had  left  there 
when  they  cut  the  piece  out  of  the  loom,  of  such  a 
strange  colour  and  design  that  he  had  never  seen  any- 
thing like  it  before.  He  took  it  off,  and  the  next  time 
he  went  to  town  he  begged  the  merchant's  foreman  to 
give  him  silk  of  the  same  colours,  and  going  home,  set 
himself  to  work  to  imitate  the  Dwarfs'  design.  If  he 
did  not  quite  succeed,  at  all  events  he  completed  such  a 
beautiful  piece  of  stuff  that  the  merchant  had  never 
seen  anything  like  it  before,  and  paid  him  a  heavy 
price  for  it. 

After  this  work,  every  one  connected  with  the  man- 
ufactory paid  some  attention  to  the  young  man,  and 
the  master  manufacturers,  who  had  hitherto  only  re- 
garded him  as  a  diligent  workman,  but  nothing  more, 
tried  to  discover  whether  the  beautiful  design  of  his 
work  were  really  his  own, — that,  if  so,  they  might  profit 
by  his  talent.  And  thus  the  poor  weaver,  who  had,  as 
we  have  said,  never  been  even  appreciated,  much  less 
^esteemed,  was  very  much  flattered  by  the  attention  of 
the  foreman  and  young  clerks  of  the  establishment. 
They  invited  him  to  join  their  evening  parties,  and  if 
at  first  he  did  not  feel  entirely  at  home  in  these  circles 
where  a  great  deal  of  beer  and  wine  was  drunk,  and 
where  the  conversation  was  not  always  what  it  should 
be,  and  if  his  coarse  coat  contrasted  rather  strongly 
with  the  costume  of  these  youths,  who  were  starched 
and  ironed  and  laced  and  curled,  yet  the  fumes  of  the 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


6? 


wine,  and  the  well-known  skill  of  the  weaver,  levelled 
all  differences  of  rank. 

Hitherto  Conrad  had  been  able  to  live  very  well 
upon  his  earnings  without  working  very  hard,  but,  as 
his  money  went  with  incredible  rapidity  at  these 
nightly  carousals,  he  was  forced  to  work  several  hours 
earlier  and  later  that  his  earnings  might  be  sufficiently 
increased  to  defray  the  expenses  of  his  evening  enter- 
tainments. 

Sometimes,  when  he  was  returning  home  late  at 
night,  he  could  not  help  thinking  that  his  present 
life  was  not  leading  him  in  the  right  way,  and,  as  he 
passed  through  the  old  ruins  on  his  way  to  his  dwell- 
ing, he  now  and  then  thought  that  he  could  distin- 
guish the  figure  of  his  little  landlord  sitting  upon  a 
stone  and  shaking  his  head  sadly  at  him,  but  he  easily 
convinced  himself  that  he  was  mistaken,  and  refused 
to  admit  that  the  Dwarfs  had  any  reason  for  being  dis- 
satisfied with  him,  for,  as  often  as  the  moon  was  at  the 
full,  he  left  his  loom  in  perfect  order,  and  had  never 
dared  to  pass  the  night  away  from  home,  more  espe- 
cially perhaps  as  he  was  always  extremely  anxious  to 
cut  from  the  beam  the  narrow  strip  of  stuff  that  the 
Dwarfs  now  regularly  left  for  him,  and  from  which  he 
copied  those  beautiful  designs  that  called  forth  the  ad- 
miration of  his  employers.  But  once  it  happened 
either  that  his  almanac  was  wrong  or  that  he  thought 
the  Dwarfs  could  get  on  very  well  without  him,  for 
he  cut  his  piece  of  stuff  out  of  the  loom  and  carried  it 
the  same  night  to  town,  where  it  was  received,  and  his 
companions  would  not  allow  him  to  depart  until  the 
moon  Wic  high  in  the  heavens. 


68 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


As  he  walked  home  he  thought,  with  anxiety,  that 
he  had  neglected  his  landlord's  comfort,  for  he  had 
not  left  his  loom  in  good  order,  and  he  had  not  re- 
mained quietly  at  home;  but,  although  the  idea  oc- 
curred to  him  that  he  might  walk  on  quickly  and  peep 
at  the  little  people  at  work,  he  stood  too  much  in  awe 
of  the  little  beings,  and  of  his  own  promise,  to  do  so. 
He  was  not  yet  so  spoiled  as  to  forget  his  honour 
entirely.  As  it  happened  to  be  summer-time,  he 
spent  the  rest  of  the  mild  night  under  an  old  pine 
tree,  where  he  stretched  himself  out  upon  the  moss 
and  slept  soundly. 

When  he  arose  the  next  morning,  he  walked  towards 
his  dwelling  with  hurried  steps  and  a  beating  heart,  for 
he  feared  that  the  Dwarfs  might  have  revenged  them- 
selves upon  him  in  some  way  for  his  neglect.  But  this 
was  not  the  case ;  he  opened  the  door  of  his  house  and 
listened  for  some  unusual  sound,  but  all  was  quiet  and 
in  order,  — the  wooden  clock  above  his  bed  was  ticking 
peacefully,  and  the  thrush  that  hung  in  a  cage  at  the 
window  was  singing  a  merry  song  in  honour  of  the 
rising  sun.  He  hurried  to  his  loom,  and  here  he 
found  nothing  unusual.  As  before,  the  little  ends  of 
silk  and  gold  thread  that  the  Dwarfs  had  used  were 
lying  around,  only  he  found  the  design  of  the  piece  of 
stuff  left  still  upon  the  beam  very  strangely  altered. 
Hitherto  the  colours  had  harmonized  so  prettily,  and 
had  formed  so  graceful  a  pattern,  that  it  suggested  to 
the  mind  some  sweet  and  lovely  melody,  but  to-day 
there  was  something  weird  and  strange  about  both 
the  colours  and  the  design  of  the  pattern  left  by  the 
little  men.    There  was  an  odd  combination  of  red 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


69 


and  black,  with  here  and  there  fine  sparkling  threads 
of  silver  that  flashed  zigzag,  like  lightning,  and,  as 
Conrad  looked  at  it,  he  felt  more  keenly  than  ever 
that  he  had  not  treated  his  little  landlords  well ;  that 
he  was  leading  a  life  that  was  far  from  good  for  him, 
and  neglecting  the  advice  which  the  Dwarfs  had  given 
him. 

But,  alas !  the  evil  example  of  the  young  people  in 
the  town  had  already  done  him  so  much  harm  that  he 
did  not  heed  the  still,  small  voice  of  his  conscience,  and 
busied  himself  with  copying  the  new  piece  of  stuff, 
the  strange  design  of  which  was  more  in  keeping  than 
the  former  ones  with  his  present  reckless  state  of  mind. 
The  new  piece  of  work  also  pleased  the  foreman  and 
gentlemen  in  town  extremely  well,  for  their  minds 
were  more  false  and  frivolous  than  the  weaver's.  The 
foreman  was  a  sly,  cunning  fellow,  who  had  long  been 
much  puzzled  to  understand  how  so  simple-minded  a 
man  as  the  weaver  could  design  and  execute  all  these 
beautiful  patterns.  Of  course  he  never  dreamed  that 
Conrad  copied  Dwarfs'  work,  but  he  thought  that  the 
weaver  had  brought  home  from  his  travels  a  quantity 
of  beautiful  patterns  which  he  thus  imitated  one  by  one 
in  order  that  they  might  bring  him  in  the  largest  possi- 
ble amount  of  money.  He  had  already,  when  with 
Conrad  over  the  wine-cup,  led  the  conversation  to  the 
beautiful  designs,  but  the  weaver's  natural  caution  had 
stood  him  in  good  stead,  and  he  had,  as  yet,  betrayed 
nothing.  Nevertheless  the  foreman  did  not  cease  to 
ply  him  with  sly  questions,  and  at  last  by  his  wiles  in- 
duced the  poor  fellow  to  impart  his  whole  secret  to 
him,  and  even  to  bring  him  a  sample  of  the  Dwarfs 


7o 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


manufacture,  at  the  sight  of  which  every  one  skilled  in 
such  matters  held  up  his  hands  in  amazement. 

The  only  thing  that  Conrad  did  not  tell  was  the  time 
and  the  place  where  the  Dwarfs  pursued  their  labours. 
He  feared  that  if  he  revealed  this  the  little  people 
might  be  watched  and  thus  chased  away,  leaving  him 
with  no  resources  for  earning  a  livelihood.  His  mode 
of  life  had  so  altered  him  that  he  no  longer  worked 
carefully  or  diligently,  and  it  was  only  from  the 
Dwarfs'  work  that  he  derived  any  profit.  Even  his 
poor  imitations  of  their  wonderful  designs  were  so  much 
liked  by  the  merchants  that  they  were  sure  to  bring 
a  high  price.  The  foreman  told  several  of  his  friends 
of  the  source  whence  the  weaver  obtained  his  pat- 
terns, and  they  in  their  turn  told  others,  whereupon 
Conrad's  reputation  became  so  doubtful  that  his  former 
friends  were,  or  thought  themselves  obliged,  to  drop  all 
association  with  him.  But  he  had  now  grown  so  accus- 
tomed to  jovial  society  that  he  sought  out  other  wild 
companions,  with  whom  he  caroused  through  whole 
nights ;  and  although,  at  first,  he  had  been  contented 
with  wine,  he  now  hardly  ever  returned  home  without 
being  intoxicated  by  deep  draughts  of  brandy. 

All  that  the  Dwarf  had  told  him  so  seriously  at  the 
conclusion  of  their  interview,  that  the  little  people 
would  prove  his  friends  and  protectors  only  so  long  as 
his  heart  was  free  from  the  guile  and  vices  that  beset 
humanity,  and  that  their  labour  in  his  house  would  as- 
sisthim  only  whilst  his  conscience  allowed  him  to  sleep 
peacefully,  was  now  shown  to  be  true.  He  had  already 
turned  and  tossed  upon  his  bed  for  many  a  night  when 
the  full  moon  shone,  waking  now  and  then  to  hear  a 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


7* 


faint  murmuring  in  his  room, — a  bewildering  sound 
that  so  confused  him  that  he  never  at  such  times  re- 
gained full  possession  of  his  faculties,  but  fell  again  into 
an  uneasy  sleep.  As  his  manner  of  life  did  not  im- 
prove, but  became  more  extravagant  and  dissipated 
every  day,  these  wakeful  periods  grew  longer,  until  he 
sometimes  tossed  upon  his  bed  for  hours,  while  the 
Dwarfs  were  at  work  in  the  next  room. 

Hitherto  he  had  always  respected  their  prohibition, 
and  had  never  pried,  either  with  eyes  or  ears,  into 
their  doings,  but  he  thought  less  and  less  of  their 
warnings.  And  although  at  first  he  resisted  the  temp- 
tation to  watch  them,  at  last,  one  night  when  the  moon 
was  full,  he  sat  up  in  his  bed  and  listened  attentively. 

He  distinctly  heard  the  whirr  of  the  loom,  the  shuttle 
flying  with  lightning  rapidity,  and  the  wheels  roll- 
ing noisily,  as  though  turned  by  a  whirlwind.  He 
arose,  and  his  hand  was  upon  the  latch  of  the  door 
separating  his  sleeping-room  from  his  work-room,  when 
better  thoughts  conquered ;  he  tore  himself  away  from 
the  spot,  and  threw  himself  once  more  upon  his  bed. 

The  next  morning  he  hurried  to  his  loom,  but  the 
little  piece  of  cloth  that  the  Dwarfs  had  always  left  for 
him  was  nowhere  to  be  seen ;  and  the  loom,  too,  was 
not  in  the  order  in  which  it  had  always  heretofore  been 
left.  The  bands  and  wheels  were  in  confusion,  and 
the  weaver  saw  plainly  that  he  must  resign  all  hope  of 
the  continuance  of  the  protection  that  the  Dwarfs  had 
hitherto  afforded  him.  And  in  town  he  was  very 
coldly  received  when  he  presented  himself  with  empty 
hands,  not  even  bringing  a  new  design,  as  had  been 
his  custom,  and  as  the  Dwarfs'  assistance  had  hitherto 


72 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


enabled  him  to  do  every  month.  He  was  even  received 
with  harsh  reproaches,  and  told  that  his  employers  were 
neither  satisfied  with  his  work  nor  with  his  present 
mode  of  life.  Still  the  foreman,  as  an  especial  fa- 
vour, he  said,  gave  him  once  more  a  quantity  of  silk, 
and  told  him  that  if  he  did  not  this  time  finish  a  good 
and  careful  piece  of  work,  he  would  have  no  more 
employment  from  the  factory.  Conrad  went  home 
thinking  of  many  things  and  possessed  by  most  un- 
comfortable feelings  as  he  remembered  the  old  times 
when  he  had  led  a  life  so  different  from  his  present 
one.  And  yet  he  was  deterred  from  entering  the 
tavern  as  usual,  not  by  these  thoughts,  but  by  the  fact 
that,  after  a  long  search,  he  could  not  find  a  single 
coin  in  his  pockets,  and  did  not  dare  to  ask  for  further 
credit.  So  he  went  home  and  put  his  loom  in  order, 
and  took  pains  in  putting  the  silk  into  it  that  he  might 
complete  a  fine  piece  of  work.  He  succeeded,  after 
a  great  deal  of  labour  in  these  preparations,  but  he 
was  not  animated  by  an  honest  desire  to  be  industrious, 
but  rather  by  greed  of  gain,  that  he  might  pursue  his 
ruinous  courses. 

Thus  the  month  slipped  by.  His  work  was  finished 
rather  late  in  the  evening  upon  which  the  Dwarfs 
always  paid  their  visit,  and  he  thought  it  well  done. 
As  he  was  examining  it  and  thinking  of  the  small  sum 
of  money  that  he  should  receive  for  so  much  toil, 
an  idea  occurred  to  him,  which  at  first,  it  is  true,  he 
rejected,  but  which  soon  took  possession  of  him.  He 
thought,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  that  he  might 
deceive  his  employer  by  cutting  off  a  few  yards  of  the 
cloth  he  had  just  woven,  and  selling  it  for  his  own 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


73 


profit.  It  would  bring  him  in  quite  as  much  as  his 
poor  wages.  At  first  his  better  nature  refused  to  listen 
to  such  a  wicked  plan.  But  he  soon  found  that  he  who 
admits  an  evil  thought  into  his  mind  will  soon  be  mas- 
tered by  it.  In  short,  after  a  struggle  with  himself,  he 
took  up  his  scissors  and  cut  off  a  piece  from  his  work. 

As  it  was  too  late  in  the  day  to  carry  the  rest  home, 
he  rolled  it  up  hastily  and  threw  himself  upon  his  bed, 
with  a  beating  heart,  and  tried  to  sleep.  But  this  was 
impossible,  for  he  heard  hour  after  hour  strike  without 
being  able  to  close  his  eyes.  And  soon  it  grew  brighter 
and  brighter,  and  the  moon  arose.  At  the  same  time 
there  was  such  a  humming  and  buzzing  in  the  air 
around  the  Dwarfs'  Nest  that  it  seemed  as  though  a 
swarm  of  bees  were  at  work,  and  he  heard  it  all  much 
more  clearly  than  ever  before.  The  little  people  went 
right  to  work  at  the  loom,  and,  as  the  wheels  flew 
around,  a  strange  melody  resounded  through  the  house, 
monotonous,  but  so  sweet  that  it  closed  the  listener's 
heavy  eyelids.  But  then  the  theft  that  he  had  com- 
mitted came  into  his  mind,  and  his  heart  beat  so  that 
it  was  impossible  to  sleep. 

Thus  he  lay  wide  awake  for  about  an  hour,  tossing 
restlessly  in  bed.  And  again  the  desire  beset  him  to 
disobey,  to  transgress  the  injunctions  of  his  landlord, 
and  watch  the  doings  of  the  Dwarfs.  He  fought  against 
it  for  a  long  time — now  getting  up  and  then  lying  down 
again — now  stopping  his  ears  that  he  might  hear  no- 
thing and  then  listening  more  attentively  than  ever. 
It  seemed  to  him  as  though  invisible  powers  were  con- 
tending for  mastery  over  him.  At  last  he  arose  and 
stood  before  the  door  ready  to  open  it  and  surprise 

7 


74 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


the  Dwarfs  at  their  work.  Even  now  he  attempted  to 
resist  the  temptation,  but  it  was  too  strong  for  him. 
He  gave  a  slight  push  to  the  door  and  it  flew  open;  but, 
instead  of  seeing  anything,  the  weaver  suddenly  received 
a  tremendous  blow  and  fell  senseless  upon  the  floor. 

When  he  came  to  himself  he  rubbed  his  eyes,  and 
at  first  could  not  remember  what  had  happened  to  him. 
He  stared  about  and  found  that  he  was  indeed  in 
his  hut,  but  its  walls  were  no  longer  whole  and  clean 
as  before.  Here  and  there  were  great  cracks  through 
which  the  morning  wind  was  blowing  and  playing  with 
the  nettles  and  dry  leaves  that  were  heaped  upon  the 
dust-covered  floor.  Conrad,  whose  head  was  still  con- 
fused, arose  slowly,  and  could  hardly  remember  what 
he  had  been  doing  or  thinking  the  evening  before. 
Beside  him  lay  the  pieces  of  the  shattered  loom,  and 
before  him  his  folded  work.  Only  when  he  saw  the 
piece  that  he  had  cut  off  from  it  did  he  clearly  re- 
member all  that  had  occurred,  and  thought  with  hor- 
ror of  what  he  had  done.  For  the  first  time  he  felt 
remorse  for  his  evil  ways.  He  determined  to  begin  a 
different  life,  and  took  the  piece  of  stufT  and  the  piece 
which  he  had  cut  off,  resolved  to  carry  both  to  his 
employer  and  confess  his  fault  and  promise  to  begin 
anew.  Refreshed  by  these  good  intentions,  he  left 
the  Dwarfs'  Nest,  now  in  ruins,  determined  not  to 
return  thither,  for  he  unjustly  ascribed  his  present 
trials  to  the  agency  of  the  little  men.  As  he  stepped 
out  into  the  clear  morning  air,  a  dark  spell  seemed  to 
be  removed  from  him,  and  he  was  truly  ashamed  of 
the  life  he  had  been  leading.  He  turned  his  steps  to 
the  long  unvisited  grave  of  his  parents,  and,  after  re- 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


75 


newing  there  his  vows  of  amendment,  he  went  on 
towards  town  with  fresh  courage. 

He  had  almost  reached  it  when  he  sat  down  by  the 
roadside  and  opened  his  parcel  that  he  might  fold  the 
piece  of  silk  afresh.  But  who  can  describe  his  terror 
when,  upon  opening  the  paper,  he  found  the  silk  gone 
and  its  place  filled  with  dirt  and  dust  ?  In  despair  he 
struck  his  forehead  with  his  clenched  fist  and  rolled 
over  and  over  on  the  grass.  He  heaped  the  Dwarfs 
with  reproaches,  for  he  considered  them  the  sole  cause 
of  his  misfortunes.  He  started  up,  then  flung  him- 
self upon  the  ground  again,  and  then  rushed  about 
for  hours  among  the  rocks  and  forests,  repeatedly 
examining  the  parcel  in  his  hand,  but  in  vain,  the 
dust  did  not  turn  to  silk.  And  then  he  proclaimed 
aloud  his  misery  and  ruin.  Sometimes  he  thought 
he  heard  around  him  hoarse  laughter,  which  increased 
his  rage,  for,  however  swiftly  he  might  dart  to  the 
spot  whence  the  noise  proceeded,  he  found  nothing. 
While  he  was  in  this  state  of  despair,  evening  came 
on,  and  he  flung  himself  exhausted  at  the  foot  of 
some  jagged  rocks.  Here  he  wept  aloud  and  be- 
moaned his  fate  as  the  unhappiest  of  men,  from  whom 
all  means  of  improvement  had  been  snatched  at  the 
very  moment  when  he  meant  to  begin  a  new  life.  But 
he  soon  gathered  a  sort  of  comfort  from  despair  and 
cried  out :  ' '  Well,  then,  God  knows  that  I  wished  to 
improve  and  change  my  manner  of  life,  but  He  has 
rejected  the  repentant  sinner  and  deprived  him  of 
everything  that  could  help  him  in  the  way  of  improve- 
ment. Now  I  don't  care  what  happens  to  me,  and 
any  one  who  wants  me  may  have  me." 


76 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


Scarcely  had  he  spoken  these  words  when  he  heard 
a  noise  above  his  head,  and  looking  up  he  saw  a 
strange  little  figure  sitting  upon  a  ledge  of  rocks.  At 
first  he  thought  it  was  his  landlord,  and  was  about  to 
start  up  and  run  away.  But  closer  inspection  told 
him  that  the  little  creature  before  him  was  very  dif- 
ferent from  his  former  friend.  He  was  two  feet  high, 
and  had  a  big,  misshapen  head,  and  a  sly,  malicious 
face,  from  which  small,  red  eyes  looked  out  wick- 
edly. His  dress  consisted  of  a  black  leather  coat  and 
breeches  of  the  same.  Large  riding-boots  covered  his 
feet  and  legs,  but  he  had  taken  off  one  of  these  boots 
and  held  it  on  his  lap  stroking  and  rubbing  it.  The 
little  man  cleared  his  throat,  and  said  to  the  weaver, 
who  was  anxiously  listening,  "Yes,  yes,  my  dear 
fellow,  if  you  really  mean  what  you  have  just  said,  that 
any  one  may  have  you  who  wants  you,  I  assure  you 
that  you  can  find  no  better  master  than  myself.  Will 
you  enter  my  service  ?" 

The  weaver,  who  was  really  shocked  to  find  how 
•wicked  his  words  had  been,  was  about  to  run  off, 
but  at  the  first  step  his  whole  helpless  condition  and 
weight  of  misfortunes  came  into  his  mind,  and  he 
thought  within  himself,  "  I  may,  at  least,  hear  what  the 
little  fellow  has  to  say,"  and  so  he  turned  round  again 
and  asked,  "  What  do  you  want  with  me?" 

The  little  man  turned  and  twisted  the  boot  in  his  lap, 
and  then  replied,  grinning,  "My  dear  friend,  I  read 
in  your  thoughts  that  you  think  me,  in  fact,  the  Evil 
One  himself,  but  really  you  do  me  too  much  honour. 
I  am  a  much  more  insignificant  personage,  and  belong 
to  that  race  to  which  you  mortals  give  tne  name  of 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


77 


Kobolds.  I  have  not  the  slightest  desire  for  your  soul, 
for  I  should  not  know  what  in  the  world  to  do  with 
such  a  thing ;  but  you  can  do  me  a  great  service  this 
very  night  if  you  will,  and  besides  the  gold  which  you 
will  thus  gain,  you  may  revenge  yourself  upon  your 
enemies  who  are  mine  also,  —  upon  those  miserable 
little  wretches,  I  mean,  who  have  ruined  you  entirely 
with  their  nonsensical  conditions." 

When  the  weaver  found  that  nothing  threatened  the 
welfare  of  his  soul,  the  prospect  of  working  some  harm 
to  the  Dwarfs,  whom  he  persisted  in  thinking  had 
treated  him  unkindly,  was  very  attractive,  and  he 
declared  himself  ready  to  serve  the  Kobold.  The 
creature,  with  a  grin,  drew  on  his  boot,  then  took  out 
of  his  pocket  a  little  flask,  from  which  the  weaver  took 
a  hearty  draught,  and  then  the  Kobold  commanded 
Conrad  to  go  to  a  neighbouring  pond  and  bring  thence 
two  long  reeds.  The  weaver  obeyed,  while  the  Kobold 
took  off  his  other  boot  and  began  to  rub  and  stroke  it 
as  he  had  done  to  its  fellow.  Down  by  the  pond  Con- 
rad cut  two  huge  reeds,  with  flowering  tops,  and  carried 
them  to  the  Kobold,  who  seemed  well  satisfied  with 
them,  and  immediately  drew  on  his  boot  again. 

"Hearken,"  said  he,  "although  you  are  only  my 
servant,  and  there  is  no  need  that  I  should  tell  you  why 
I  do  this  or  that,  yet  I  will  tell  you  in  a  few  words 
what  I  intend  to  do  for  you."  Here  the  Kobold  rubbed 
his  hands,  and  grinned  significantly,  as  he  continued : 
u  The  Dwarfs,  to  whom  you  gave  up  your  dwelling 
every  night  of  the  full  moon,  have  always  been  at  war 
with  the  ancient  and  honourable  race  of  Kobolds.  The 
garments  and  stuffs  that  they  wove  in  your  loom  were 
7* 


78 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST 


destined  for  wedding-clothes  for  a  pair  who  are  to  be 
married  to-night,  and  whose  festivities  I  propose  to  in- 
terrupt. If  you  had  not  disturbed  the  little  men  at  their 
weaving  yesterday  evening  they  would  have  completed 
their  work,  and  I  should  have  had  no  power  over  them. 
But  now  I  can  go  to  them  and  steal  away  the  fair  bride 
whom  I  have  long  loved." 

If,  upon  hearing  this,  the  weaver  at  first  thought  that 
he  had  treated  his  old  landlord  very-unkindly,  his  mind 
instantly  recurred  to  his  own  misfortunes,  and  he  felt 
glad  that  revenge  was  within  his  reach.  The  Kobold 
got  up,  and  commanded  the  weaver  to  pick  up  the  two 
reeds  from  the  ground.  Then  he  put  one  between  his 
legs,  and  told  his  servant  to  do  the  same,  after  which 
he  chirruped  and  moved  his  legs  like  a  horseman  who 
wishes  to  urge  on  a  lazy  steed.  Who  can  describe 
Conrad's  astonishment  when  he  found  that  the  reed 
between  his  legs  increased  in  length  and  breadth  until 
it  became  a  full-grown  horse,  which,  with  the  Kobold' s, 
rushed  away  over  field  and  hedge.  But,  alas !  he  had 
not  taken  sufficient  care  in  mounting,  and  held  the 
flowering  top  in  his  hand,  so  that,  consequently,  he  now 
found  himself  sitting  backwards  on  his  steed,  holding, 
instead  of  the  bridle,  the  tail,  to  which  he  clung  tightly, 
to  the  Kobold's  infinite  amusement. 

Thus  they  rode  on  in  the  night  through  thick  for- 
ests, over  desert  heaths,  down  steep  abysses,  and 
through  foaming  torrents,  and  nothing  surprised  the 
weaver  more  than  that  he  did  not  fall  off  his  horse. 
Indeed,  he  felt  no  jolting  as  with  an  ordinary  horse, 
for  the  magic  steed  that  he  bestrode  seemed  to  glide 
over  the  ground  without  moving  his  feet.     At  last 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


79 


they  appeared  to  have  reached  the  place  of  their 
destination.  They  arrived  in  a  valley  full  of  strangely- 
shaped  rocks,  where  the  Kobold  suddenly  stopped  his 
horse  and  scrambled  down  to  the  ground.  The  animal 
instantly  shrunk  all  up  and  became  a  reed  as  before. 

The  weaver,  who  was  a  little  giddy  with  all  the  won- 
ders that  he  had  seen,  felt  himself  suddenly  bumped 
down  upon  the  ground,  and  when  he  looked  round 
after  his  horse  it  had  vanished,  and  he  saw  only  a  bent 
reed  lying  at  his  feet.  "We  are  on  the  spot,"  said 
the  Kobold,  ' '  and,  if  you  conduct  yourself  well,  in 
a  short  time  the  charming  little  bride  will  be  mine, 
and  your  reward  shall  be  great,  only  follow  my  di- 
rections exactly.  Take  hold  of  my  belt  and  do  not 
let  go  until  we  are  again  in  the  open  air  with  the 
pretty  sprite.  But,  above  all,  remember  not  to  speak 
a  single  word,  whatever  may  happen."  The  weaver 
promised  to  fulfil  these  easy  directions,  and  seized  the 
girdle  of  the  Kobold,  who  immediately  went  to  one 
of  the  huge  masses  of  rock  and  slipped  easily  through 
a  crack  in  it.  Conrad  hesitated  a  little  here,  for  it 
seemed  impossible  to  him  that  he,  with  his  great  body, 
could  get  through  such  a  narrow  crack.  But  he  was 
ashamed  to  linger  behind,  and  so  gave  a  little  push 
and  instantly  he  was  with  his  master  within  the  rock. 
He  could  not  help  feeling  his  body  carefully,  for  he  was 
convinced  that  the  slipping  through  must  have  made 
him  as  thin  as  cardboard.  But  this  was  not  so.  He 
found  himself  with  his  master  in  a  large  marble  hall, 
magnificently  hung  with  thousands  of  lights.  A  crowd 
of  Dwarfs,  about  the  size  of  his  landlord  and  very 
much  like  him,  were  busily  running  hither  and  thither, 


So 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


carrying  in  their  hands  gold  and  silver  dishes,  whence 
streamed  an  odour  so  savoury  that  the  poor  weaver, 
who  had  not  tasted  a  morsel  since  morning,  was  de- 
voured by  hunger.  Dread  overcame  him  at  first,  for, 
although  he  knew  that  both  his  master  and  himself 
were  invisible  to  these  little  beings,  he  could  not  help 
thinking  that  they  must  notice  him  when  his  master 
led  him  directly  through  their  midst,  and  so  he  shut 
his  eyes  as  the  ostrich  does  when  it  hopes  to  escape 
the  observation  of  its  enemies.  Suddenly  lovely  music 
greeted  his  ears,  and  such  brilliant  rays  of  light  pierced 
his  shut  eyelids  that  he  could  not  help  opening  his 
eyes  wide  to  look  around  him.  Then  he  saw  that 
he  was  in  the  midst  of  the  wedding  assemblage  of  the 
Dwarfs,  who  were  seated  in  long  rows  at  a  table, 
feasting  and  merry-making.  On  a  raised  platform  at 
the  end  of  the  hall  sat  the  musicians,  making  such 
delicious  and  heart-touching  music  that  the  weaver 
thought  he  had  never  heard  anything  half  so  fine. 
Although  the  hall  was  very  lofty  for  the  Dwarfs,  he  had 
to  stoop  in  it,  and  when  he  crouched  in  a  corner,  his 
head  reached  far  over  the  little  people's  table,  at  the 
upper  end  of  which  sat  the  bride  and  bridegroom. 
But  what  were  Conrad's  sensations  when,  in  the  bride- 
groom, he  recognized  his  landlord,  and  saw  that  he,  as 
well  as  the  other  Dwarfs,  was  dressed  in  cloth  spun 
upon  his  loom  ! 

The  bridegroom  looked  extremely  happy,  and  paid 
every  attention  to  his  bride,  who  was  such  a  lovely, 
charming  little  creature  that  the  weaver  repented  from 
his  heart  his  promise  to  steal  her  away  for  his  new 
master.    The  Kobold  had  clambered  up  to  the  ceiling 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


8t 


and  clung  there  to  the  weaver's  head  just  over  a  chan- 
delier. He  put  his  lips  to  the  weaver's  ear  and  said, 
with  a  grin,  "You  see  that  the  moment  is  favour- 
able. Stretch  out  your  hand  slowly,  seize  the  little 
bride  in  a  firm  grasp,  and  place  her  here  beside  me, 
that  she  may  be  invisible  to  the  rest,  and  in  the  bustle 
that  ensues  we  will  slip  away  unobserved.  Do  you 
hear?  Stretch  out  your  hand  instantly."  But  Conrad 
was  suddenly  overcome  with  remorse,  and  thought 
how  wrong  it  was  to  revenge  himself  thus  upon  his 
landlord,  who  had  never  done  him  any  injury  until  he, 
by  his  neglect  and  dissipation,  had  deeply  offended 
him.  He  tried  to  state  the  case  respectfully  to  the 
Kobold,  but  the  little  creature,  clinging  fast  to  his  ear, 
buzzed  like  a  wasp,  and  would  not  let  him  speak  a 
word,  saying,  "Hush!  you  must  not  flinch — you  are 
my  servant.  Stretch  out  your  hand,  I  say,  and  seize 
the  little  thing,  or  I  will  leave  you,  and  woe  betide 
you  if  the  Dwarfs  see  you." 

Terrified  at  this  threat,  Conrad  stretched  out  his 
hand,  but  his  better  feeling  conquered,  and  he  drew  it 
back  again  empty.  "What  are  you  doing?"  buzzed 
the  Kobold  in  his  ear.  "Oh,  sir,"  replied  the  weaver, 
"  something  tickled  my  nose,  and  I  was  afraid  I  should 
sneeze."  "Hm  —  hm — attend!"  said  the  little  fel- 
low: "don't  speak,  but  attend  to  your  business." 
Again  the  weayer  stretched  out  his  hand,  and  was  just 
about  to  seize  the  poor  little  bride,  when  his  arm 
twitched  so  that  he  once  more  drew  back  his  hand 
empty.  Then  the  Kobold  gave  his  ear  a  little  bite,  and 
grumbled  so  angrily  that  it  seemed  to  the  weaver  as  if  a 
swarm  of  hornets  were  flying  about  his  head.  "You 

F 


82 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


fool !  what  do  you  mean  ?  Why  don't  you  pick  up  the 
bride?"  "Forgive  me,  sir,"  replied  Conrad,  "the 
steam  from  the  meats  is  so  hot,  that  the  perspiration  is 
rolling  in  drops  down  my  face,  and  if  I  had  not  wiped 
it  away  it  would  have  fallen  upon  the  table  and  be- 
trayed us."  This,  at  least,  was  no  falsehood,  only  it 
was  his  struggle  with  himself,  and  not  the  steam  from 
the  meats  that  made  the  drops  stand  upon  his  brow. 

The  weaver  now  put  out  his  hand  for  the  third 
time,  and  the  struggle  within  him  between  good  and 
evil  was  so  great  that  his  fingers  closed  and  unclosed 
convulsively.  He  would  have  had  the  bride  in  his 
hand  in  one  moment  more  if,  just  at  this  instant,  the 
bridegroom  had  not  handed  her  a  nosegay,  which  she 
took  with  a  smile,  and  pressed  to  her  breast  and  lips. 
In  Conrad's  anguish  he  tried  to  find  a  means  to  delay 
the  fatal  grasp,  but  in  vain ;  the  little  creature  was  all 
but  in  his  hand,  when  affected  by  the  strong  perfume 
of  the  flowers,  she  sneezed  violently,  and  the  weaver, 
forgetting,  in  his  confusion,  the  Kobold's  injunctions, 
cried  out  aloud,  "  God  bless  you!" 

Instantly  the  rocks  resounded  with  a  crash  like  thun- 
der,— it  lightened,  and  the  Dwarfs  and  the  table  grew 
indistinct  and  vanished,  while  the  Kobold  growled, 
angrily,  "Is  this  the  way  you  keep  your  promise, 
you  vile,  mortal  vagabond?"  And  then  he  trod  with 
his  clumsy  boot  so  heavily  upon  the  weaver's  neck 
that  the  poor  fellow  fell  senseless  on  the  ground,  and 
lay  there  for  some  time.  When  he  came  to  himself 
his  limbs  felt  as  though  they  had  been  beaten,  and 
it  was  long  before  he  could  remember  what  had  hap- 
pened.   He  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  was  just  rising,  that 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


83 


he  might  creep  slowly  away,  when,  to  his  astonishment 
and  terror,  he  saw  standing  beside  him  his  landlord, 
who  thus  addressed  him:  "Do  not  be  afraid, — lam 
not  going  to  do  you  any  further  injury.  The  punishment 
that  we  inflicted  upon  you  was  perfectly  just,  for  you 
remember  how  you  violated  the  conditions  of  our  agree- 
ment, and  what  a  wicked,  dissipated  fellow  you  have 
been  for  some  time  past.  But  let  all  be  forgiven  and 
forgotten.  As  you,  last  night,  did  me  and  my  dear 
wife  a  great  service,  I  will  help  you  to  become  once 
more  a  happy,  honest  man.  To  give  you  gold  and 
silver  would  do  you  no  good,  for  I  know  well  that 
money  seldom  brings  content  to  human  beings,  but  is, 
on  the  contrary,  often  the  cause  of  manifold  ills  and 
trials  to  them.  But  go  home  to  your  hut  and  begin  to 
work  as  before.  We  do  not  need  your  aid  any  longer, 
and  therefore  shall  not  again  test  your  curiosity.  I 
hope  you  will  prove  honest  and  true,  and  not  fall  into 
your  late  miserable  ways  again.  If  I  give  you  no  visible 
proof  of  my  gratitude,  you  will  soon  be  convinced  that 
we  mean  to  assist  you  with  invisible  advice  and  aid." 

The  Dwarf  then  vanished,  and  as  the  weaver  looked 
around  him  he  saw  by  the  light  of  the  first  rays  of  the 
sun,  which  shone  over  the  mountains,  that  he  was  just 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Dwarfs'  Nest.  He  hastened  to 
his  dwelling,  and,  remembering  the  desolation  and  con- 
fusion that  he  had  left  there  the  day  before,  he  was 
greatly  surprised  to  see  nothing  of  it  to-day.  The  door 
was  closed,  but  he  heard  the  clock  ticking,  and  the  thrush 
singing  within.  And  everything  was  in  the  most  beau- 
ful  order,  his  loom  thoroughly  repaired,  and  the  stuff 
from  which  he  had  cut  the  piece  lying  by  it  wrapped  up 


THE  DWARFS'  NEST. 


entire.  And  he  also  observed,  to  his  delight,  that  it  wa& 
the  most  beautiful  piece  of  work  that  he  had  ever  seen. 
He  carried  it  to  the  town,  but  the  scene  of  his  former 
dissipation  was  so  hateful  to  him  that  he  left  it  in  a 
great  hurry,  as  soon  as  his  business  there  was  concluded ; 
and  although  he  soon  won  for  himself,  by  his  beautiful 
work,  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  employers,  he 
took  good  care  not  to  frequent  bad  society,  but  con- 
tinued to  labour  diligently  and  unweariedly,  soon  per- 
ceiving plainly  that  the  Dwarfs  gave  him  much  invisible 
aid,  so  that  he  grew  to  be  a  wealthy  man.  After 
awhile  he  built  for  himself  a  fine,  large  house,  but 
never  tore  down  the  Dwarfs'  Nest,  which  remained 
standing  for  many  years,  until,  with  the  faith  in  Dwarfs 
and  Fairies,  it  also  crumbled  and  sank  into  decay. 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


Many,  many  years  ago  there  reigned  over  Bagdad 
the  Caliph  Haroun  al  Raschid,  one  of  the  wealthiest, 
wisest,  and  most  powerful  princes  that  ever  sat  upon 
the  throne.  He  was  honoured  and  loved  indeed,  not 
only  by  those  of  his  subjects  who  were  rich  and  great, 
but  also  by  the  meanest  among  them.  And,  besides, 
the  Prophet  had  deigned  to  grant  him  wise  and  just 
men  for  his  servants.  His  Grand  Vizier,  Abdallah, 
to  whose  hands  the  whole  administration  of  affairs 
throughout  the  realm  might  have  been  safely  entrusted, 
was  such  a  man  as  is  rarely  to  be  found,  just,  true,  and 
economical,  who  knew  well  how  to  increase  his  master's 
wealth,  steadily  but  always  honestly.  Therefore  the 
Caliph  loved  him  like  a  brother,  and  could  not  pass 
an  hour  without  his  faithful  Abdallah.  They  always 
worked  together, — together  they  played  chess,  of  which 
game  they  were  both  masters,  and  whenever  the  Ca- 
liph went  out  hunting,  the  Vizier  was  obliged  to  ac- 
company him. 

Now  it  was  the  wise  custom  of  the  Caliph  to  wander 
in  disguise  through  the  streets  and  bazaars  of  Bagdad, 
that  he  might  thus  inform  himself  concerning  much 
which  would  else  have  been  concealed  from  him.  In 
these  walks  he  often  heard  complaints  made  by  his 
8  (85)  ' 


86 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


subjects,  and  he  investigated  them  closely, — always,  if 
they  were  well  founded,  removing  their  cause.  He 
often  attended  the  sessions  of  the  courts,  to  see 
whether  the  judges  administered  justice  faithfully, 
without  respect  of  persons.  But  it  was  chiefly  in  the 
silence  of  night  that  he  wandered  through  the  streets, 
accompanied  by  his  Vizier,  Abdallah ;  and  not  unfre- 
quently,  at  these  times,  he  prevented  thefts  and  mis- 
chief of  various  kinds,  for  he  visited  the  most  distant 
and  impoverished  quarters  of  the  town,  partly  to  pre- 
vent all  such  mischief,  and  partly  to  seek  out  the 
poorest  of  his  people  in  their  miserable  hovels,  and 
assist  them  with  money  or  good  advice. 

Thus,  one  evening  he,  with  his  Grand  Vizier,  left  his 
palace  and  wandered  along  the  banks  of  the  Tigris,  en- 
joying the  beauty  of  the  starlit  night.  The  Caliph  was 
in  good  spirits,  and  very  merry,  and  was  talking  with 
his  companion  of  the  various  destinies  of  mankind, — 
how  some  were  fortunate  and  others  the  reverse,  and 
how  every  heart  was  daily  filled  with  new  hopes  and 
aspirations  of  which  so  many  were  never  to  be  realized. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Abdallah,  the  Vizier,  "if  one  could 
only  read  in  some  great  mirror  the  various  wishes  and 
thoughts  of  the  thousands  of  men  who  toss  restlessly 
upon  their  couches  around  us,  conscious  that  their 
hopes  can  never  be  fulfilled,  what  a  subject  for  contem- 
plation we  should  have  !" 

Conversing  thus  the  two  men  came  to  one  of  the 
poorest  quarters  of  the  city,  and  entered  a  little, 
crooked  street,  which  twisted  and  turned  here  and 
there,  and  whose  course  the  Caliph  and  the  Vizier  fol- 
lowed until  they  found  themselves  in  a  part  of  the  city 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


87 


which  was  entirely  unknown  to  them.  Suddenly  the 
Caliph  stood  still,  for  he  heard  issuing  from  a  little  side 
court  the  lamentable  shrieks  of  a  man  who  was  appar- 
ently undergoing  a  beating,  or  some  kind  of  ill  treat- 
ment. The  Vizier,  too,  heard  the  cries,  and  although 
such  a  circumstance  was  not  very  unusual,  there  was 
something  so  strange  in  the  steady  continuance  of  the 
screams,  that  the  two  listeners  with  one  accord  walked 
towards  the  spot  whence  the  noise  proceeded.  Passing 
through  a  very  narrow  and  dirty  little  street,  that  led 
through  a  half-ruined  arched  gateway,  they  came  to  a 
little  square  that  looked  very  gloomy  and  deserted. 
The  houses  which  surrounded  it  were,  for  the  most 
part,  ruinous,  and  had  neither  doors  nor  windows. 
You  could  look  directly  into  the  interior  of  most  of 
them,  and  see  the  grass  growing  a  foot  high  in  the 
halls  and  apartments  which  had  once  been  the  homes 
of  human  beings.  The  roofs,  too,  of  most  of  these 
tenements'  had  fallen  in,  and  large  trees,  sycamores, 
plantains,  or  palms  looked  out  over  the  bare  walls, 
giving  sorrowful  token  that  these  houses  had  been 
empty  for  two  or  three  generations. 

Only  from  one  single  house  in  the  whole  square  did 
a  feeble  ray  of  light,  penetrating  through  a  broken 
window-shutter,  show  that  some  one  was  within.  But 
with  the  friendly  beam  of  light  there  also  issued  those 
cries  of  pain  which  had  drawn  hither  the  Caliph  and 
his  attendant.  Although  this  building  was  also  ruin- 
ous, like  all  the  rest  in  the  square,  it  must  once  have 
presented  a  much  finer  appearance  than  its  neighbours, 
for  it  was  built  of  stone,  and  over  the  doorway  was  in- 
scribed a  sentence  of  the  Koran,  a  decoration  only 


83 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


used  by  people  of  means  and  rank.  But  even  here  the 
tooth  of  time  had  attacked  and  partly  destroyed  the 
walls.  The  stone  upon  which  the  sentence  was  in- 
scribed was  so  defaced  that  the  words  were  illegible, 
and  the  doors  and  shutters  scarcely  hung  upon  their 
hinges. 

From  time  to  time  shrieks  of  agony  were  heard  from 
within,  and  the  two  men  now  approached  to  listen  to 
the  words  that  accompanied  them. 

"Ah!"  cried  a  voice,  "give  me  something  to  eat 
and  drink.  I  am  dying  of  hunger  and  thirst.  Am  I 
not  already  worn  to  a  skeleton  ?  How  can  I  pass  four 
days  and  four  nights  without  food  or  drink?  I  shall 
die.  Oh !  oh !  and  have  I  not  learned  to  endure  my 
hundred  blows  daily?  So  do  give  me  something  to 
drink,  at  least." 

The  voice  which  uttered  these  strange  words  seemed 
to  be  that  of  a  young  man,  but  it  sounded  so  weary  and 
weak  that  it  was  easy  to  believe  that  he  had  really 
suffered  the  ill  treatment  of  which  he  spoke  and  which 
had  so  reduced  him.  Then  was  heard  another  voice, 
that  seemed  to  come  from  the  lips  of  an  older  man, 
but  it  was  not  faint  nor  weary,  as  was  the  first.  "Ah, 
sir,  if  you  would  only  listen  to  reason,  and  consent  to 
live  like  other  mortals.  Of  what  use  are  the  tortures 
to  which  you  subject  yourself?  By  the  beard  of  the 
Prophet,  I  am  sorry  enough  to  say  so,  but  it  is  the  duty 
of  an  old  servant,  like  myself,  and  I  repeat,  therefore, 
for  the  thousandth  time,  that  your  actions  are  those  of 
a  crazy  man;  and  that  if  you  do  not  cease  tormenting 
yourself  thus,  you  will  end  your  days  in  the  mad- 
house.   Eat  and  drink,  and  mingle  again  with  your 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


89 


fellow-men.  Of  what  use  are  these  dreams  of  yours 
to  you?" 

"  Ha  !  ha  !"  laughed  the  first  in  his  hoarsest,  weakest 
voice,  gnashing  his  teeth  so  that  the  listeners  outside 
heard  it,  "  this  is  the  way  you  serve  me,  you  faithful 
servant !  May  Eblis  fly  away  with  your  food  and 
drink  !  I  will  starve  !  yes,  and  I  will  be  beaten  as  much 
as  I  choose !" 

"Just  as  you  please,"  replied  the  other;  "if  you 
will  starve  to  death,  then,  refuse  all  meat  and  drink. 
The  Prophet  knows  that  it  is  not  my  fault.  But  this  I 
tell  you,  say  what  you  will,  I  will  not  again  lift  a  stick 
to  beat  you." 

"Oh!  oh!"  whined  the  first,  "faithless,  dishonest 
knave  !  Did  you  not  promise  my  father,  on  his  death- 
bed, with  his  hands  in  yours,  to  cling  to  me  and  never 
to  forsake  me  ?  and  do  you  not  know  for  whom  I  suffer 
all  these  woes  ?  Now  you  would  have  me  endure  them 
all  in  vain.  Is  your  promise  forgotten?  I  will  be 
beaten,  and  I  will  starve!  There,  take  the  stick,  ] 
will  bear  the  blows  patiently." 

The  Caliph  and  his  Vizier,  standing  before  the  door, 
did  not  know  what  to  make  of  this  strange  conversa- 
tion,— each  looked  at  the  other  with  amazement,  and 
Abdallah  pushed  up  his  turban  and  tweaked  his  nose, 
to  convince  himself  that  he  was  not  dreaming  this 
strange  story.  The  Caliph  took  his  companion's  hand 
and  motioned  him  to  be  silent,  for  the  old  man's 
voice  was  heard  again,  within,  saying  in  piteous  tones, 
"O  Allah!  Allah!  would  that  I  had  died  with  your 
father !  But  the  Prophet  knows  my  heart.  He  knows 
that  I  am  not  to  blame  for  this  madness." 

8* 


9° 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


All  was  then  quiet  for  awhile,  until  shrieks  were 
once  more  heard,  and  a  sound  as  though  some  one  were 
being  beaten  with  a  stick, — and  between  the  blows 
could  sometimes  be  heard  the  words,  "O  love!  O 
love  !  The  fair  image  !  the  beautiful  picture !  Oh. 
those  brilliant  eyes  !  That  raven  hair  !  The  Prophet 
help  me!" 

The  Caliph  could  listen  no  longer  to  these  strange 
cries.  He  softly  requested  his  Vizier  to  observe  closely 
the  situation  of  the  house,  and  together  they  left  the 
dreary  square,  still  hearing  for  some  distance  the  cries 
of  the  unhappy  sufferer. 

The  next  morning  the  Grand  Vizier  took  a  couple 
of  confidential  servants  with  him,  and  set  out  to  find 
the  house  in  the  lonely  quarter  of  the  city  which  the 
Caliph  and  he  had  seen  the  night  before.  They  soon 
found  it,  and  waited  before  it  for  some  time,  expecting 
to  hear  the  same  lament  as  before.  But  all  was  quiet  and 
still.  They  knocked  once,  twice,  at  the  door  without 
hearing  the  slightest  sound  in  return.  Then  they 
knocked  at  the  closed  window-shutters,  and  repeated 
this  several  times,  untir  they  heard  a  movement  within. 
A  door  was  opened,  footsteps  were  heard  approaching 
the  front  door,  and  the  voice  of  an  old  man  asked 
through  a  crack  in  the  wall,  who  was  there  and  what 
was  wanted. 

"Open,  in  the  name  of  the  Caliph!"  cried  Abdal- 
lah,  adding,  as  the  old  man  within  seemed  to  hesitate, 
"  Open  quickly,  or  I  shall  obey  my  master  the  Caliph 
Haroun  al  Raschid's  commands,  and  break  down  the 
door,  and  you  shall  suffer  severely  for  your  disobc- 
dience." 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


91 


The  door  was  slowly  opened,  and  there  appeared  on 
the  threshold  the  figure  of  an  old  man,  very  meanly 
clad,  who,  laying  his  hand  on  his  breast  and  forehead, 
asked,  "What  are  the  commands  of  my  lord  the 
Caliph?" 

Abdallah,  with  his  two  companions,  entered  the 
house,  and  proceeded  to  the  room  whence  had  issued 
the  strange  conversation  on  the  previous  evening.  The 
old  man  at  first  attempted  to  bar  their  progress,  but 
when  he  saw  the  armed  attendants,  he  heaved  a  deep 
sigh  and  opened  the  door  of  the  apartment. 

Although  this  room  was  in  a  very  poor  condition, 
yet  what  remains  of  furniture  there  were  showed  that 
some  man  of  wealth  had  once  resided  there.  Broken 
cabinets  of  gilded  wood  stood  against  the  walis,  and 
from  the  ceiling  hung  an  old  Persian  shawl,  as  in  many 
of  the  Oriental  houses.  The  shutters  of  the  windows 
were  closed,  so  that  one  could  only  dimly  descry  a  di- 
van in  the  corner  of  the  room,  upon  which  lay  extended 
the  figure  of  a  young  man.  By  chance  a  single  ray  of 
sunlight  now  streamed  in,  and  enabled  the  Vizier  to 
see  the  countenance  of  the  youth  distinctly.  No  one 
who  looked  upon  his  pale,  sunken  features  could 
doubt  that  it  was  he  whose  shrieks  had  been  heard 
on  the  preceding  evening.  He  was  about  twenty 
years  old,  and  apparently  took  no  notice  of  the  new- 
comers. His  eyes  were  shut,  his  lips,  shaded  by  a 
delicate  black  moustache,  were  tightly  closed,  and,  in 
spite  of  his  emaciation  and  pallor,  his  head,  covered 
with  thick,  dark  curls,  was  eminently  handsome.  His 
dress,  although  ragged,  showed  traces  of  better  days, 
—and  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  beside  a  pile  of 


92 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


immense  books,  lay  a  number  of  broken  flasks  and 
strange  instruments,  such  as  are  used  for  necromancy 
or  magic. 

After  the  Grand  Vizier  had  glanced  hastily  over  the 
interior  of  the  apartment,  he  asked  the  old  man,  who 
stood  submissively  at  the  door,  who  this  youth  was; 
whereupon  the  other  made  a  sign  entreating  silence, 
and  beckoned  the  Grand  Vizier  to  leave  the  room  with 
him. 

Outside,  he  begged  him  most  earnestly  not  to  pry 
into  his  secrets.  But  Abdallah  announced  to  him  that 
the  Caliph,  his  master,  had  commanded  that  he  should 
be  brought  before  him,  that  he  might  learn  the  mean- 
ing of  the  cries  and  conversation  that  he  had  over- 
heard the  night  before. 

When  the  old  man  heard  that  the  Caliph  had  com- 
manded that  he  should  be  brought  before  him,  he  fell 
upon  his  knees  and  swore  by  Allah  and  the  Prophet 
that  he  was  guiltless  of  any  crime,  and  that  he  would, 
in  fact,  rather  undergo  severe  punishment  than  live 
any  longer  in  this  house.  "Yet,"  he  added,  "I  dare 
not  leave  my  young  master ;  but  if,  O  my  lord,  you 
compel  me,  innocent  as  I  am,  to  go  to  prison,  you 
must  take  care  of  him." 

The  Grand  Vizier  assured  him  that  no  one  dreamed 
of  punishing  him,  and  that,  if  he  would  only  tell  the 
truth,  the  Caliph  would  order  all  things  for  the  best 
for  himself  and  his  master.  So  the  old  man  returned 
to  the  apartment  where  his  master  lay,  and  after  ex- 
changing a  few  words  with  him,  left  him,  and  fol- 
lowed the  Grand  Vizier,  who  placed  a  guard  before 
the  house. 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


93 


When  they  arrived  at  the  palace  they  were  summoned 
before  the  Caliph  instantly,  for  Haroun  al  Raschid 
was  most  anxious  to  learn  from  the  lips  of  the  ser- 
vant what  was  the  meaning  of  the  conversation  he  had 
overheard.  The  old  man  prostrated  himself  before  the 
Caliph,  and  said  :  "  Commander  of  the  Faithful,  as  I 
know  well  that  truth  alone  finds  favour  in  your  sight, 
I  will  tell,  without  equivocation  and  just  as  it  is, 
my  young  master's  story,  and  certainly  none  of 
the  Faithful  have  ever  before  had  so  strange  a  one. 
Know,  then,  O  my  lord,  that  in  that  house,  whither 
Allah  conducted  you  for  our  advantage  yesterday 
evening,  there  lived,  two  years  ago,  Abou  el  Deri,  a 
wise  and  learned  man,  of  whom  your  Highness  must 
certainly  have  heard.  He  could  read  all  the  myste- 
rious books  of  magicians  and  sorcerers,  and  dis- 
cover from  the  stars  much  concerning  the  past  and 
future.  I  was  his  servant,  O  my  lord,  and  in  former 
years  accompanied  him  upon  the  journeys  which  he 
made  to  all  parts  of  the  known  world.  Often  have  we 
traversed  the  Great  Desert,  and  there  cannot  be  one 
of  the  large  Oases  which  we  have  not  visited.  The 
ocean,  too,  has  borne  us  upon  its  bosom,  and  my  mas- 
ter made  all  these  journeys,  not  to  accumulate  wealth 
by  the  purchase  and  sale  of  costly  merchandise,  but  in 
all  the  countries  and  cities  which  we  visited  he  sought 
out  wise  and  learned  men,  with  whom  he  conversed 
concerning  the  knowledge  of  the  stars,  and  who  either 
gave  him  or  received  from  him  various  kinds  of  infor- 
mation. Ah,  sir,  it  was  a  pleasure  indeed,  to  travel 
for  days  and  weeks  through  the  lonely  desert  with 
Abou  el  Deri.    Never  in  my  life  have  I  known  any 


94 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


one  who  could  relate  such  charming  and  entertaining 
stories ;  he  would  continue  his  relations  for  days,  and 
every  one  listened  to  him  with  delight.  But  although 
he  was  often  eloquent  and  amusing  upon  these  journeys, 
there  were  moments  when  he  became  quiet  and  re- 
served, and  these  were  the  times  when  the  Fata  Mor- 
gana appeared  on  the  horizon  of  the  desert.  Then  he 
grew  thoughtful  and  serious,  and  would  gaze  for  hours 
upon  the  wondrous  trees,  the  splendid  palaces,  and  the 
sparkling  waters  which  adorn  this  phantom-spectacle 
of  the  desert.  I  have  often  attempted  to  speak  to  him 
at  such  times,  but  he  would  sign  to  me  with  his  hand  to 
be  silent,  and  then  he  would  usually  open  before  him 
on  his  camel  and  study  diligently  one  of  his  mysterious 
books,  full  of  strange  drawings,  which  he  seemed  to 
compare  with  the  figures  of  the  Fata  Morgana. 

"Once,  after  a  day  spent  in  this  manner,  we  were 
lying  at  evening  under  our  tent,  and  Abou  el  Deri 
was  more  friendly  than  ever,  wherefore,  impelled  by 
curiosity,  I  took  heart  and  asked  him  why  he  gazed 
so  fixedly  and  earnestly  at  the  desert-phantom,  and 
seemed  rather  to  enjoy  a  sight  which  every  true  Mussul- 
man regards  with  secret  dread.  Then  my  master  laughed 
and  said  to  me,  '  Listen,  O  Ismael,'  for  so  am  I 
called,  'thou  hast  long  been  a  faithful  servant  to  me, 
I  will  forgive,  therefore,  thy  curiosity,  nay,  I  will  even 
communicate  to  thee — for  thy  understanding  is  good 
— what  many  wise  and  learned  men  before  me  have 
already  thought  of  the  desert-phantom,  and  what  I 
myself  believe  it  to  be.  Thou  thyself  hast  often  seen, 
especially  on  very  hot  days,  when  the  desert  lies  around 
and  far,  far  before  us,  that  suddenly  it  is  as  if  the  sand 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA, 


95 


on  the  distant  horizon  slowly  arose,  and  mountains  ap- 
pear to  rise  up,  above  whose  summits  the  heavy,  yellow 
clouds  sail  slowly  hither  and  thither.  It  rolls  and  tosses 
like  a  distant  sea,  and  sometimes  a  ray  of  light  shines 
out  as  though  the  sun  were  throwing  a  single  beam  upon 
the  waters  through  thick,  black  clouds.  The  motion  of 
the  hills  increases,  and  the  yellow  clouds,  which  are  at 
first  massed  together,  roll  off  like  a  long,  thin  veil  and 
slowly  ascend  to  the  skies,  as  though  a  curtain  were 
lifted  from  the  earth  and  revealed  to  thy  dazzled  and 
enraptured  gaze  a  rich  and  lovely  landscape  where  but 
a  moment  before  there  was  nothing  but  dreary  hills  of 
sand.  Around  thee  the  sun  still  shines  hot  and  glowing 
upon  the  burning  sand.  Silently  both  men  and  horses 
travel  on  through  the  heat,  and  entrancing  indeed  is 
the  spectacle  presented  by  the  Fata  Morgana,  of  shady 
groves  of  palm,  cool,  bubbling  brooks,  and  gorgeous 
palaces.  At  sight  of  them  the  traveller  draws  his  bur- 
nous over  his  head  and  invokes  the  aid  of  the  Prophet, 
while  he  turns  away  his  eyes  from  the  distant  vision, 
for  not  where  those  palm  trees  wave  does  his  path  lie ; 
no,  there  is  nothing  for  him  there  but  sand  and  certain 
death. 

"'But  for  all  this  there  is  no  evil  in  the  Fata  Mor- 
gana. It  does  not  seek  to  lure  men  to  destruction, 
but  is  as  innocent  as  a  lovely  island  in  the  ocean  which 
the  mariner  cannot  reach  because  his  guiding  compass 
is  wanting.  This  fair  island  in  the  sand  may  yet  be 
one  day  reached  by  some  man  of  true  courage,  and 
rich  will  be  the  reward  that  this  spot,  blooming  and 
lovely  as  Paradise  itself,  contains  for  him  who  seeks  it 
there.    Yes,  Ismael,'  continued  my  master,  'I  know 


9r> 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


thee  to  be  good  and  wise;  it  will  not  bewilder  thy 
senses  to  learn  that  the  Fata  Morgana  is  more  than  a 
mere  phantom,  and  to  be  told  that  the  Princess  Morgana 
reigns  there,  a  woman  more  gloriously  beautiful  than 
any  other  upon  earth  or  in  heaven.  It  is  true,  no 
mortal  man  has  ever  beheld  her  countenance,  although 
my  books,  as  well  as  wise  and  learned  men,  maintain 
that  a  powerful  magician  once  succeeded  in  painting  a 
portrait  of  her,  which  has  been  lost  now  for  many 
years,  and  in  truth  the  aim  of  all  my  study  and  travel 
is  to  find  this  dangerous  picture, — dangerous,  because 
the  mortal  who  looks  upon  it  sickens  with  rapture  and 
love.' 

' *  Thus  spoke  my  master,  and  you  may  imagine  my 
amazement  at  what  he  had  related,  and  how  I  shook  my 
head  to  find  that  he  was  wasting  so  much  time  and  money 
in  search  of  a  fabulous  picture.  Some  time  after  this 
narrative  we  were  journeying  with  a  caravan  to  Da- 
mascus and  Palmyra,  and  suffered  greatly  by  the  way. 
The  Simoom  overtook  us  and  destroyed  a  large  part  of 
our  caravan,  and  only  the  speed  of  our  horses  enabled 
us  to  escape  the  wide-spread  destruction.  Ah,  sir,  it  is 
a  fearful  thing  to  see  a  caravan,  men  and  beasts,  flying 
in  deadly  terror  from  the  terrible  death  that  pursues 
them.  Camels  and  horses  seem  endowed  with  miracu- 
lous speed,  and,  covered  with  foam,  fly  over  the  sand 
until  they  drop  dead  in  the  midst  of  their  course. 
Near  us  in  this  wild  flight  we  noticed  a  beautiful  woman 
upon  a  noble  Arabian  courser;  she  held  her  little  child, 
born  only  a  short  time  before,  wrapt  in  her  veil,  and, 
in  the  universal  confusion  and  noise  that  prevailed,  she 
had  eyes  only  for  the  little  creature,  which  she  covered 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


97 


with  her  body  from  the  rushing  storm  of  sand.  My 
master's  heart  was  touched  at  sight  of  this  woman,  and 
we  kept  as  near  to  her  as  we  could,  that  we  might  assist 
her  in  case  of  need.  But  the  Prophet  had  decreed 
her  death.  Her  horse  suddenly  fell  dead,  unluckily  at 
a  moment  when  the  storm  was  close  behind  us.  Then 
she  held  her  child  imploringly  towards  us,  and  could 
only  cry  out  to  my  master,  'Save,  oh,  save  it !' 

"  You  may  imagine  that  in  spite  of  the  danger  which 
threatened  us  we  reined  in  our  horses,  while  I  seized  the 
child  and  Abou  el  Deri  attempted  to  rescue  the  woman. 
But  she  drew  her  veil  over  her  head,  and,  pointing  de- 
spairingly to  the  approaching  cloud  of  sand,  adjured 
us,  by  Allah  and  the  Prophet,  to  fly  and  save  the  child. 
Close  behind  us  came  the  sand-pillar,  like  a  gigantic 
wall  of  fire,  and  curled  above  our  heads  like  the  lofty 
waves  of  a  stormy  sea  when  they  hurry  on  to  dash 
themselves  upon  the  shore.  'Fly!  fly!'  screamed  the 
woman,  'and  save  my  child!'  Whereupon  our  horses, 
who  well  knew  the  danger  which  threatened  us,  put 
forth  anew  their  failing  strength,  and  rushed  wildly 
onwards.  The  cloud  of  sand  broke  and  covered  with 
a  gigantic  mound  the  body  of  the  wretched  woman. 

"  Through  the  grace  of  the  Prophet,  we  escaped,  and 
Abou  el  Deri  considered  the  boy  that  Allah  had  so 
unexpectedly  sent,  as  his  own,  and  had  him  educated 
in  the  most  careful  manner.  Notwithstanding  this  new 
care,  he  continued  his  travels  most  diligently,  and  the 
older  he  grew,  the  more  determined  he  was  to  find  the 
picture  of  which  he  had  told  me.  Thus  we  both  grew 
old,  and  the  last  journey  which  we  made  together  was 
to  an  oasis  far  beyond  Palmyra,  where  dwelt  a  most 


98 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


wise  and  learned  man.  This  journey  was  indeed  our 
last,  for  here,  after  all  his  searching,  my  master  found 
what  he  had  so  long  desired, — the  picture  of  the  Prin- 
cess Morgana.  But  of  what  use  was  it  to  him  then  ? 
He  stood  on  the  brink  of  the  grave,  and  no  power,  no 
time  was  left  him  to  spend  in  an  attempt  at  least  to 
find  that  blissful  island  about  which  he  had  dreamed 
all  his  life  long,  and  which  had  been  the  goal  of  all 
his  hopes.  We  came  back  here  to  Bagdad  and  lived 
poorly  and  quietly,  for  my  master's  property  was  ex- 
hausted by  his  travels,  and  the  little  that  he  had  hardly 
sufficed  to  support  him  until  his  death.  At  last  he 
died,  and  in  his  dying  moments  I  and  his  adopted 
son,  a  well-grown  youth,  stood  by  his  bedside.  For 
the  last  time  he  gave  the  young  man  good  advice, 
exhorting  him  to  fear  Allah  and  the  Prophet,  and  pre- 
sented to  him  an  amulet  which  his  unfortunate  mother 
had  hung  around  his  neck  just  before  she  perished  in 
the  desert.  He  then  begged  the  young  man  to  leave 
him,  while  he  delivered  to  me  his  last  directions. 

"  '  Ismael,'  he  said,  when  we  were  alone,  '  in  a  few 
moments  I  shall  be  no  more,  and  thou  wilt  have  lost  a 
master  and  my  son  a  father.  Promise  me  to  use  thy 
life-long  experience  for  his  good,  and  to  give  him  all 
the  assistance  in  thy  power.'  I  took  his  hand,  and 
promised  solemnly  to  do  all  that  he  asked  of  me, 
whereupon  he  adjured  me  never  to  look  upon  the  pic- 
ture which  he  handed  to  me,  or  to  show  it  to  his  son ; 
'for,'  he  added,  'at  sight  of  this  picture  every  man 
will  gradually  sicken  and  die  of  love  and  rapture.' 
In  a  few  minutes  after  he  died. 

"I  was  now  alone  with  the  young  man,  and  Abou  el 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


99 


Deri  had  left  but  little  behind  him.  Caskets  and  chests 
were  empty,  and  the  only  things  which  we  could  turn 
into  money  were  some  old  weapons  adorned  with  gold 
and  jewels,  which  I  sold  in  the  bazaars.  Our  young 
foster-son,  who  had  received  the  name  of  Saladin,  was 
impetuous,  brave,  and  fiery.  Abou  el  Deri  had  had 
him  instructed  by  the  wisest  men  of  the  age,  and  be- 
sides that  he  was  learned  in  all  book-wisdom,  he  could 
bear  a  lance,  and  manage  most  skilfully  the  wildest 
steed.  But  oh,  sir,  you  can  easily  believe  that  all  such 
amusements  had  to  be  resigned  after  my  master's  death. 
What  could  we  do  ?  The  fiery  courser  that  the  young 
Saladin  rode  we  were  obliged  to  sell,  as  well  as  the 
costly  apparel  in  which  he  had  shone  so  brilliantly. 
Often  did  I  attempt  to  procure  some  employment  for 
my  young  master,  whereby  he  might  worthily  earn  hi< 
bread.  I  recommended  him  to  the  captain  of  the 
body-guard,  entreating  him  to  give  the  young  man  a 
place  among  his  horsemen ;  but,  as  I  had  no  powerful 
protector,  and  could  not  even  procure  a  horse  and  the 
necessary  outfit,  I  was  everywhere  refused.  Ah,  sir, 
that  was  a  sad  time.  I  tried  to  persuade  the  youthful 
Saladin  to  undertake  some  employment,  and  at  last 
induced  him  to  promise  to  accept  a  place  as  servant  in 
some  shop.  But  I  had  thus  bowed  his  proud  spirit  in 
vain ;  for  although  every  one  was  prepossessed  by  his 
appearance  in  his  favour,  the  merchants  no  sooner 
heard  that  he  was  the  son  of  Abou  el  Deri,  the  magician 
and  conjurer,  as  they  called  him,  than  they  turned  from 
us  and  closed  their  doors  against  us.  The  money 
from  the  sale  of  the  weapons  was  now-  exhausted, 
and  I  searched  every  chest  and  corner  of  the  house 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


in  vain  to  find  some  concealed  treasure.  I  even 
examined  the  iron  casket  which  contained  the  won- 
derful picture,  in  hopes  of  finding  something  else  in 
it,  but  there  was  nothing  there  except  the  picture, 
enclosed  in  a  case.  I  must  confess  that  while  search- 
ing here  I  was  tortured  with  curiosity,  and  longed 
to  press  the  steel  button  of  the  case  that  enclosed  the 
wonderful  thing.  But  by  good  luck  I  seemed  to  hear 
at  this  moment  the  voice  of  my  old  master  calling  me, 
and  I  resisted  the  temptation.  Unfortunately,  I  forgot 
to  lock  the  casket  again,  and  left  the  house  to  beg  a 
loan  of  an  acquaintance. 

"While  I  was  away,  Saladin  came  home,  and,  having 
often  noticed  the  casket  before,  and  seen  that  it  was 
always  locked,  he  made  use  of  my  absence  to  take  out 
the  case,  and  O  my  lord,  the  unhappy  youth  opened  it 
and  looked  upon  the  picture. 

"What  happened  then  I  do  not  know,  but  when  I 
returned  I  found  him  wildly  raving,  lying  upon  his  bed 
in  a  burning  fever,  holding  in  his  hands  the  case, 
which  no  force  could  wrest  from  him.  Too  well  I 
knew,  from  the  wild  words  that  he  uttered  in  his  de- 
lirium, that  he  had  seen  the  picture,  and  that  the 
declaration  of  my  dying  master,  that  any  mortal  who 
should  behold  it  would  sicken  of  love  and  rapture,  was 
fulfilled  in  him,  for  he  lay  upon  his  bed  devoured  by  a 
malignant,  wasting  fever,  and  muttering  the  most  mys- 
terious, unconnected  phrases.  He  usually  thought 
himself  in  the  desert,  beholding  in  the  distance  the 
phantom  of  the  Fata  Morgana.  He  described  it,  as 
Abou  el  Deri  had  done,  in  the  loveliest  and  most 
glowing  colours,  as  an  island  of  rapture  and  bliss.  And 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


IOI 


in  all  these  visions  the  ill-fated  picture  played  a  prin- 
cipal part,  for  it  always  seemed  to  hover  before  him, 
and  his  bewildered  soul  followed  it  over  snow-clad  hills, 
through  raging  seas,  and  the  burning  sand  of  the  desert. 

"At  last  the  force  of  the  fever  was  spent,  and  I  hoped 
that  reason  would  return  to  the  unhappy  Saladin  and 
banish  the  remembrance  of  the  picture  from  his  heart. 
But  no,  as  his  body  recovered,  his  heart  and  mind 
grew  worse.  The  first  time  that,  as  I  sat  by  his  couch, 
he  recognized  me,  after  many  months  of  patient  nursing, 
and  spoke  connectedly,  he  showed  me  the  case  with 
rapture,  and  declared  that  at  last  he  had  found  some- 
thing to  which  he  would  consecrate  his  existence,  and 
which  he  would  either  attain  or  die,  and  that  was,  to 
find  the  original  of  the  picture.  In  vain  I  represented 
to  him  that  the  picture  must  be  a  mere  fancy  of  the 
artist ;  he  only  smiled  and  said,  in  a  faint  voice,  *  O 
Ismael,  your  incredulity  grieves  me.  I  assure  you  it  is 
the  picture  of  the  Princess  Morgana,  who  reigns  over  a 
blissful  island  far  in  the  desert.  Well  I  know  that  as 
yet  no  mortal  has  had  the  good  fortune  to  reach  that 
island  and  see  the  Princess,  yet  why  should  not  I  be 
the  one  to  find  the  way  thither?  Indeed,  I  know  I  shall 
succeed  in  doing  so,  for  in  the  delirium  of  my  fever  I 
have  often  journeyed  thither.  It  was  in  truth  a  wild 
and  weary  road,  and  the  caravan  to  which  I  belonged 
was  composed  of  strange  figures ;  but,  nevertheless,  I 
shall  reach  the  island  at  last, — yes,  I  shall  see  her  and 
be  near  her.' 

"  When  at  first  I  heard  him  talk  thus,  I  thought  the 
fever  had  not  yet  left  him,  and  that  with  time  these 
strange  ideas  would  vanish.     But  I  war  mistaken, 
9* 


102 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


Saladin  recovered  slowly,  indeed,  but  never  forgot  his 
purpose  of  seeking  the  Princess  Morgana,  as  he  called 
the  picture.  He  had  determined  upon  a  course  which 
bordered  on  madness,  and  by  which,  he  said,  he  could 
accustom  his  body  to  the  fearful  privations  that  he 
would  have  to  endure  upon  his  travels.  In  pursuance 
of  this  determination,  he  took  no  food  nor  drink  for 
days,  that  he  might  inure  himself  to  hunger  and 
thirst.  All  my  remonstrances  were  in  vain.  He  fell 
into  a  terrible  rage  whenever  I  represented  to  him  the 
folly  of  his  conduct,  and  at  last  he  persuaded  me,  by 
his  entreaties,  to  aid  him  in  these  follies. 

"  He  often  goes  for  three  or  four  days  without  food, 
and,  besides,  compels  me  to  beat  him  severely,  that  he 
may  bid  defiance  to  the  ill  treatment  of  those  who  would 
dissuade  him  from  his  undertaking.  You  may  imagine 
what  I  have  suffered  in  beholding  this  madness,  O 
my  lord,  but  what  could  I,  a  poor  old  man,  do?  for  how- 
ever firmly  I  determined  to  resist  his  will,  I  could  not 
persist  long  in  this  determination,  for  his  grief  at  my 
faithlessness,  as  he  called  it,  his  lamentations  because  I 
would  not  help  him  to  obtain  what  he  loved  best  in  the 
world,  were  so  heart-rending, — even  more  hard  for  me 
to  bear  than  the  ill  treatment  to  which  he  subjected 
himself.  If  I  sometimes  ask  him  when  and  by  whose 
assistance  he  expects  to  undertake  his  journey,  he 
always  answers  that  destiny,  which  has  put  into  his  , 
hands  the  portrait  of  the  Princess  Morgana,  will,  when 
the  time  for  the  journey  arrives,  provide  means  for  its 
accomplishment. 

"This  is  the  story,  O  my  lord,  of  old  Abou  el  Deri 
and  his  foster-son,  and,  by  the  beard  of  the  Prophet,  I 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


have  concealed  nothing.  You  yourselves  heard  last 
evening  how  he  tormented  me  with  his  madness,  and 
how  I  was  obliged  to  treat  him.  I  pray  my  lord  to 
decide  now  in  his  wisdom  what  shall  become  of  us." 

The  Caliph,  as  well  as  his  Grand  Vizier,  had  listened 
most  attentively  to  this  strange  story,  and  at  its  close 
sat  silent,  not  knowing  what  to  think  of  it.  "What  do 
you  say,  Abdallah,"  said  the  Caliph,  "to  our  sending 
for  this  picture  and  looking  at  it  at  all  hazards?" 

"O  my  lord,"  quickly  returned  Ismael,  after  he 
had  made  a  low  obeisance,  "O  my  lord,  do  not  in 
your  wisdom  determine  upon  anything  so  fearful. 
Believe  me,  the  evil  spell  that  is  on  this  picture  would 
make  the  rest  of  your  life  miserable." 

"It  is  indeed  a  strange  story,"  said  the  Grand 
Vizier,  "and  if  I  might  give  your  Highness  counsel 
which  your  wisdom  would  not  reject,  it  would  be  to 
provide  the  young  man  with  means  to  traverse  the 
desert  with  a  caravan  for  a  year  at  least.  Perhaps  the 
Prophet  will  be  gracious  to  him,  and  in  that  time  cure 
him  of  his  insanity." 

"You  are  right,"  answered  the  Caliph.  "Make  the 
necessary  preparations,  and  do  not  let  the  traveller 
want  for  anything.  Send  him  away  with  one  of  the 
great  caravans  which  are  about  going  to  Palmyra,  and 
command  him  to  return  at  the  end  of  a  year,  and  then 
I  will  provide  further  for  him." 

Ismael  fell  at  the  Caliph's  feet,  and,  whilst  he  stam- 
mered his  thanks  for  the  favour  shown  him,  ventured 
to  prefer  the  request  that  he  might  accompany  his 
young  master.  It  was  granted,  and  Haroun  al  Raschid, 
commanding  the  young  man  to  be  brought  before  hiir. 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


when  he  should  be  ready  for  his  journey,  dismissed 
the  old  servant,  who  went  back  to  his  dwelling  to 
cheer  and  revive  his  master  with  the  news  that  he 
brought. 

Saladin  was  lying  stretched  out  upon  his  bed,  and  at 
first  listened  carelessly  to  his  servant's  story  of  having 
been  summoned  to  the  Caliph's  presence,  and  of  having 
told  him  of  Abou  el  Deri's  search  for  the  portrait.  But 
when  Ismael  went  on  to  say  that  the  Caliph  had 
promised  to  fit  him  out  and  give  him  the  means  for  a 
journey  across  the  desert,  the  young  man  suddenly 
arose  from  his  couch,  and  cried,  with  sparkling  eyes, 
"  Do  you  not  see,  Ismael,  that  my  dreams  have  not 
lied?  Do  you  not  see  that  the  time  is  at  hand,  for  Allah 
sends  me  unhoped-for  aid?  The  time  has  indeed  come 
for  me  to  begin  the  search  for  which  my  soul  longs, — 
upon  this  journey  I  shall  find  what  I  seek." 

Early  the  next  day  there  came  to  the  young  Saladin's 
dwelling  chests  packed  full  of  handsome  apparel,  with 
weapons,  and  all  kinds  of  provisions  for  a  long  journey, 
and  the  generous  Caliph  sent  several  valuable  horses, 
as  well  as  some  black  slaves,  who  were  to  accompany 
the  young  man.  Saladin  himself  had  been  a  changed 
creature  from  the  time  of  Ismael's  announcement  of 
the  Caliph's  bounty.  In  a  few  days  no  one  would  have 
imagined  that  he  had  lain  ill  for  months,  subjecting 
himself  to  all  kinds  of  privation  and  harsh  usage.  The 
mere  thought  of  carrying  out  the  darling  wish  of  his 
soul  had  inspired  him.  with  new  life, — the  colour  re- 
turned to  his  cheeks,  and  his  eye  flashed  again  beneath 
its  dark  lashes  like  the  glowing  sun  when  at  evening 
it  sinks,  cloud-encompassed,  below  the  horizon.  An 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


hour  after  the  old  servant's  return  from  the  palace  his 
master  arose,  and,  when  the  Caliph's  gifts  arrived,  he 
selected  from  them  the  handsomest  and  richest  suit 
of  apparel,  and,  accompanied  by  Ismael,  rode  upon 
one  of  the  Persian  horses  through  the  streets  and 
bazaars,  to  the  palace  of  the  Caliph,  in  order  to  present 
himself  before  the  throne,  as  Haroun  al  Raschid  had 
commanded. 

The  people  in  the  streets  through  which  he  passed 
got  out  of  his  way  respectfully,  and  were  so  dazzled  by 
his  stately,  handsome  figure  and  his  skill  in  horseman- 
ship, in  short,  by  his  whole  appearance,  that,  standing 
aside,  they  bowed  low  before  him  as  before  some 
mighty  Emir.  The  merchants,  too,  in  the  bazaars,  re- 
garded him  with  astonishment,  and  asked  one  another 
who  the  strange  prince  could  be.  Thus  he  arrived  at 
the  Caliph's  palace,  where  the  guards  received  him, 
with  his  old  companion,  in  the  most  reverential  man- 
ner, and  without  delay  he  was  admitted  to  the  interior 
court-yard.  Here  several  pages  sprang  forward  to  hold 
his  stirrup  for  him  to  dismount,  and  then  led  him,  with 
his  servant  Ismael,  to  the  apartments  of  the  Caliph,  who, 
with  his  Grand  Vizier  Abdallah,  received  him  there. 

Haroun  al  Raschid  regarded  the  young  man,  who 
prostrated  himself  before  him,  with  a  gracious  smile, 
and  renewed  the  promises  which  he  had  given  to  the 
aged  Ismael. 

"  Commander  of  the  Faithful,"  replied  Saladin, 
"you  have  appeared  to  a  wretched  man,  in  your  mercy 
and  generosity,  like  an  angel  from  heaven,  and  the 
Prophet  will  reward  you  for  it.  How  shall  I  express 
my  gratitude  for  the  boundless  favour  that  you  have 


106  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 

shown  me?  I  shall  find  what  I  have  so  long  desired, 
and,  if  Allah  permits  it,  I  shall  be  blest  indeed." 

The  Caliph,  who  had  at  first  entertained  an  idea 
that  the  youth  might  perhaps  be  cured  of  his  fanati- 
cism, saw  clearly  from  these  words  that  his  intentions 
were  fixed  unalterably  in  his  mind,  and  determined  to 
waste  no  time  in  combating  them.  He  therefore  dis- 
missed him  with  his  best  wishes,  and  Salad  in  returned 
to  his  dwelling  intoxicated  with  joy. 

The  inhabitants  of  Bagdad,  whose  curiosity  had  been 
greatly  excited  by  the  appearance  of  the  strange  prince 
whom  they  supposed  Saladin  to  be,  took  great  pains  to 
discover  who  the  young  man  really  was,  and  no  sooner 
learned  that  he  was  the  son  of  the  old  magician,  Abou 
el  Deri,  and  that  the  Caliph  had  given  him  the  means 
and  outfit  for  a  long  journey,  than  they  declared  that 
the  whole  story  of  the  portrait  was  an  utter  falsehood, 
invented  by  the  old  rogue  Ismael  to  extort  money  from 
the  Caliph's  compassion,  and  these  envious  men  la- 
mented that  the  old  man's  trick  had  been  so  successful. 

A  few  days  afterwards  the  caravan,  joined  by  the 
young  man  and  his  servant,  set  out  from  Cairo  for 
Palmyra,  and  the  people  in  the  bazaars  said,  laughing, 
to  one  another,  "See  that  cunning  rogue  Ismael, — how 
he  rides  off  with  his  booty." 

As  is  commonly  the  case  with  evil-speaking,  in  this 
particular  instance  it  increased  from  hour  to  hour,  was 
embellished  with  various  additional  statements  and  sur- 
mises, and  became  at  last  so  credible  that  even  the  wisest 
might  have  been  imposed  upon  by  it.  The  people 
firmly  believed  that  the  aged  Ismael  had  deceived  the 
Caliph.    "  Look  you,"  they  said  to  one  another,  "old 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


Abou  el  Deri,  as  we  all  know,  never  had  a  son.  Where 
could  Ismael  have  picked  up  this  young  man  whom  he 
has  trained  to  carry  out  his  purposes?"  "  It  seems  to 
me,"  said  another,  "that  I  have  seen  the  young  liar 
somewhere."  "Just  so,"  added  a  third.  "Did  we 
not  see,  a  little  while  ago,  a  youth  serving  in  the 
barber's  shop  at  the  great  Caravanserai  as  like  this 
Saladin  as  one  egg  to  another?"  "Aha!"  chimed  in 
all  the  rest,  "  you  have  hit  it, —  it  is  he.  Oh  the 
good  Caliph  !" 

Haroun  al  Raschid  soon  heard  thesf  reports  from 
his  Grand  Vizier,  and,  although  he  refused  at  first  to 
credit  them,  he  was  at  last  persuaded  by  Abdallah's 
representations  to  send  for  the  master  of  that  same 
barber's  shop,  who  replied,  with  a  malicious  smile,  to 
the  Caliph's  questions  concerning  the  young  man : 
"Commander  of  the  Faithful,  man  is  erring,  and  the 
Prophet  be  my  witness  that  I  would  not  willingly  say 
aught  evil  of  my  fellow-men.  But  as  regards  that 
young  man,  I  can  affirm  that  a  few  weeks  ago  he  was 
employed  by  me  to  wash  my  barber's  basin  and  razor. 
It  is  true  that  he  presented  a  very  different  appearance 
when  I  saw  him  again,  but  that  was  owing  to  the  costly 
apparel  and  the  noble  steed  which  your  Highness  pre- 
sented him." 

The  Caliph,  hard  as  it  was  for  him  to  acknowledge 
to  himself  that  he  had  been  thus  deceived,  could  not 
help  crediting  the  words  of  the  barber,  and  said  after- 
wards to  his  Grand  Vizier,  "Hark  ye,  Abdallah,  we 
must  take  better  care  for  the  future,  and  let  people  bawl 
and  shriek  in  their  houses  as  much  as  they  please,  with 
out  troubling  ourselves  about  them." 


Io8  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


Abdallah  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  replied,  "In 
deed  it  has  proved  a  most  rascally  trick." 

In  the  mean  while  the  caravan  to  which  Saladin  and 
Ismael  had  joined  themselves  pursued  its  quiet  way 
through  the  desert,  and  the  two  pilgrims  never  dreamed 
of  the  slanders  heaped  upon  their  fair  fame  behind  their 
backs.  The  young  man  was  rejoiced  that  at  last  he 
had  taken  the  first  step  that  was  to  lead  him  to  the 
unknown  original  of  his  picture,  and  that  now  some 
lucky  chance  might  speedily  bring  him  to  the  goal  of 
his  wishes.  Ismael,  too,  was  happy  to  leave  the  dull 
life  of  the  city,  and  to  be  again  travelling  in  the  well- 
remembered  desert.  He  seemed  to  be  twenty  years 
younger,  and  to  be  once  more  riding  by  the  side  of  his 
old  master,  Abou  el  Deri. 

The  caravan  was  very  large,  and  as  it  carried  a  great 
amount  of  gold  and  silver  was  escorted  by  a  number 
of  armed  horsemen,  to  protect  it  from  the  attacks  of 
the  Bedouins.  In  a  very  few  days  these  sturdy  robbers 
showed  themselves  in  the  distance,  reconnoitring,  ap- 
parently, the  size  and  strength  of  the  caravan,  some- 
times even  surprising  small  detachments  of  the  train 
who  lagged  behind  after  a  night's  encampment,  and 
leading  off  the  loaded  camels,  having  cut  down  such  of 
the  men  as  made  resistance. 

The  larger  part  of  the  caravan,  however,  and  Saladin 
with  it,  pursued  its  way  without  any  accident.  At 
first  the  riding  over  the  hot  sand,  under  the  glowing 
sun  of  the  desert,  occasioned  the  young  man  not 
a  little  inconvenience.  But  he  soon  became  accus- 
tomed to  it,  and  enjoyed  all  the  beauty  and  sublimity 
that  can  be  found  in  the  quiet  and  solitude  of  this  huge 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


waste  of  sand,  and  when  the  heat  of  the  sun  sometimes 
depressed  him,  he  was  refreshed  by  the  thought  of  the 
Fata  Morgana,  which  he  had  never  seen,  and  to  behold 
which  he  so  ardently  longed.  At  last,  one  beautiful 
evening,  when  the  sun  had  blazed  over  the  heads  of 
the  horsemen  all  day  long  with  terrific  heat,  the  phan- 
tom of  the  desert  revealed  itself  from  the  midst  of  a 
blue  mist  which  seemed  to  ascend  from  the  distant 
horizon,  and  the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun  flashed 
gloriously  upon  those  fabled  palaces,  those  unattainable 
groves,  and  that  shining  water  which  gushed  forth 
sparkling  and  bright  and  yet  had  never  moistened 
human  lips.  Saladin  sat  enraptured  upon  his  horse, 
his  ardent  gaze  fixed  upon  the  enchanting  spectacle, 
until,  growing  fainter  and  fainter,  it  gradually  faded 
entirely  away. 

As  the  two  travellers  were  lying  under  their  tent  that 
night,  the  young  man  said  to  his  servant,  "Ah,  Ismael, 
I  have  noted  exactly  the  direction  of  the  blessed  island 
where  reigns  the  Princess  Morgana.  Let  us  start  now, 
and  perhaps  we  may  reach  it  before  morning." 

"  By  the  Prophet !"  replied  Ismael,  with  a  sorrowful 
smile.  "  Dear  master,  how  strange  all  your  projects 
are  !  Our  present  journey  in  search  of  the  original, 
which  probably  has  no  existence,  of  a  picture,  is  ridicu- 
lous enough.  But  your  plan  of  leaving  the  caravan,  to 
go  wildly  forth  into  the  desert,  borders  on  madness, 
and,  believe  me,  you  will  never  reach  this  phantom 
scene,  with  its  fair  palaces  and  palms  and  streams. 
For  every  step  which  seems  to  lead  you  towards  it,  it 
recedes  ten  steps  from  you." 

"But,"  rejoined  Saladin,  impatiently,  "how  can  I 
10 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


attain  my  aims,  and  reach  the  consummation  of  my 
wishes  upon  which  my  whole  future  peace  depends? 
Did  you  think,  perhaps,  that  this  ride  through  the 
desert  would  change  my  intentions  and  efface  that 
image  from  my  heart?" 

"I  hope,  O  my  master,"  replied  Ismael,  "I  hope 
your  visions  will  be  dissipated,  and  that  when  we  return 
to  Bagdad,  at  the  end  of  a  year,  you  will  look  back  to 
these  days  as  to  some  troubled  dream." 

Saladin  shook  his  head  mournfully  and  lay  down  to 
rest.  Such  conversations  as  these  were  often  held, 
and,  although  Ismael  used  every  exertion  to  bring  his 
young  master  to  reason,  he  could  not  succeed.  Saladin 
carefully  preserved  the  picture,  and  in  many  a  lonely 
hour,  opening  the  case,  lost  himself  in  contemplation 
of  its  loveliness.  By  the  side  of  a  fountain  which 
tossed  its  transparent  drops  high  into  the  air  sat  the 
figure  of  a  young  girl,  her  head  thoughtfully  inclined 
towards  the  earth,  so  that  one  could  see  only  the  fair, 
shining  brow  and  the  half-closed  eyes.  But,  as  these 
were  beautiful  enough  to  cause  the  soul  of  man  to  sicken 
with  rapture,  how  incomparably  exquisite  must  the 
whole  face  be,  if  the  maiden  should  raise  her  head  and 
look  full  at  the  beholder !  How  often  did  the  young 
Saladin  gaze,  intoxicated  with  love,  upon  this  image, 
praying  the  Prophet  to  work  a  miracle  in  his  favour  and 
give  him  one  look  into  that  glorious  countenance. 
Rash  prayer  !  If  a  part  only  of  this  lovely  face  had 
power  to  make  him  well-nigh  broken-hearted,  what 
would  become  of  him  if  once  the  fire  of  that  glance, 
more  devouring  than  the  sun  at  high  noon,  should 
inflame  his  blood  ? 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


Ill 


In  a  few  weeks  the  caravan  reached  Damascus,  and 
after  it  had  rested  there  for  a  few  days  turned  towards 
Palmyra.  Soon  the  travellers  found  themselves  once 
more  in  the  open  desert,  where  they  saw  nothing 
around  them  save  sand  and  sky.  The  rations  of  water 
for  man  and  beast  decreased  daily,  and  the  more  the 
men  were  tormented  by  the  heat  the  more  eagerly 
was  their  gaze  turned  to  the  Fata  Morgana  that  now, 
more  enchantingly  than  at  any  other  time,  revealed 
every  evening  to  their  enraptured  vision  its  fairy 
beauties.  Saladin  lay  for  whole  hours  in  the  shade  of 
his  tent,  gazing  out  upon  the  desert,  dreaming  with 
open  eyes,  and  imagining  that  through  those  fantastic 
groves  he  could  discover  the  shimmer  of  the  foun- 
tain by  which  the  maiden  sat  with  downcast  eyes. 
Vain  fancy !  When  the  light  of  the  sun  faded,  the 
fairy  island  faded  with  it,  and  Saladin  tossed  restlessly 
and  feverishly  upon  his  couch. 

He  had  often  determined  to  leave  the  caravan,  and 
even  his  old  servant,  secretly  at  night,  and,  throwing 
himself  upon  his  steed,  to  commend  himself  to  Allah 
and  to  proceed  in  the  direction  in  which  the  Fata  Mor- 
gana had  last  revealed  to  him  its  fairy  groves.  But  it 
always  seemed  as  if  old  Ismael  suspected  his  resolve, 
for  he  was  constantly  relating  horrible  tales  of  travellers 
who,  driven  by  thirst,  had  forsaken  caravans  in  search  of 
the  sparkling  waters  which  the  desert-phantom  offered 
to  them,  but  who  had  perished  miserably  in  the  sand. 
These  narratives  did  not  fail  to  impress  the  young  man, 
although  only  slightly  and  for  a  very  short  time.  But 
his  desire  and  love  were  too  great,  and  by-and-by  his 
purpose  became  fixed  to  leave  the  caravan. 


112 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


At  last  (it  was  on  a  beautiful  night,  and  when  the 
rays  of  the  setting  sun  had  illumined  the  Fata  Morgana 
shining  more  brilliantly  than  ever  in  the  distance)  the 
young  man  stole  away  from  his  servant's  side,  swung 
himself  upon  his  horse,  and  rode  softly  through  the 
rows  of  tents  out  into  the  desert  beyond.  Having  nar- 
rowly observed  the  direction  in  which  the  Fata  Mor- 
gana had  been  seen,  he  gave  his  steed  the  spur,  and 
galloped  thitherwards.  The  stars  came  out  brilliantly  in 
the  heavens  and  grew  pale  before  the  morning  whitening 
in  the  east,  while  the  young  man,  upon  his  horse,  rushed 
towards  the  rising  sun.  The  gray  of  night  turned  to 
violet,  which,  growing  more  and  more  brilliant,  became 
dark  yellow,  and  seemed  to  encompass  the  heavens 
with  a  golden  circle,  which,  slowly  lifting,  allowed  the 
first  ray  of  the  sun  to  appear,  gilding  the  waste  of  sand 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

Saladin  now  checked  his  steed,  gazed  first  at  the 
sun,  while  he  uttered  a  fervent  prayer  to  the  Prophet 
to  guide  him  mercifully  towards  the  fulfilment  of  his 
desires,  and  then  looked  back  upon  the  plain  over 
which  he  had  ridden,  and,  seeing  there  nothing  but  a 
wide,  sandy  desert,  his  heart  grew  lighter,  and  he  re- 
joiced in  having  made  his  escape  from  the  wearisome, 
creeping  caravan,  and  in  being  free  as  a  bird  to  roam 
whither  he  would.  Again  he  gave  his  steed  the  spur, 
and  galloped  towards  the  east,  hoping  soon  to  see  and 
arrive  at  the  Fata  Morgana.  The  sun  rose  slowly  and 
seemed  to  concentrate  its  rays  upon  the  lonely  horse- 
man, so  unendurable  was  the  heat. 

Day  was  again  declining,  when  the  weary  steed  could 
go  no  farther,  wherefore  Saladin  dismounted,  and  now 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


for  the  first  time  he  remembered  with  horror  that  he 
had  neither  provender  nor  water  wherewith  to  refresh 
the  exhausted  animal  after  his  long  march.  For- 
tunately, he  found  in  his  little  provision-bag  a  handful 
of  maize,  which  he  gave  him,  and  although  he  himself 
suffered  not  a  little  from  hunger  and  thirst,  he  suddenly 
forgot  it  all  at  the  sight  of  the  Fata  Morgana,  which 
now  slowly  arose  before  his  longing  vision.  But  he 
had  not  approached  any  nearer  to  it  than  on  the  pre- 
vious evening,  and  it  was  only  his  imagination  that 
persuaded  him  that  he  saw  it  more  distinctly  than  ever 
before.  Ah,  those  fairy  palm-groves  and  palaces  were 
hovering  upon  the  horizon  as  distant  as  ever  !  Thus 
the  night  wore  away,  and  the  following  morning  found 
the  youth  again  on  horseback,  steadily  pursuing  the 
same  phantom,  that  receded  as  steadily  from  his  pursuit. 
The  horse  was  so  overcome  by  hunger,  thirst,  and 
fatigue  that  towards  the  evening  of  the  second  day  his 
rider  dismounted  and  led  the  poor  creature  after  him 
by  the  bridle,  for  before  him  ascended  again  the  desert- 
*  phantom,  and,  alas  !  no  nearer  than  on  the  evening 
before. 

When  the  night  fell,  Saladin  lay  down  by  the  side 
of  his  horse,  but  was  unable  to  sleep,  so  great  were  the 
pangs  of  hunger  and  thirst  that  assailed  him.  Hope, 
which  had  not  left  him,  gave  him,  however,  new 
strength,  and  in  the  morning  he  sprang  up  more 
briskly  than  ever,  to  continue  his  ride.  But  his  poor 
steed,  whom  no  search  for  happiness  animated,  made 
one  or  two  painful  attempts  to  get  upon  his  legs,  and 
then  sank  back  upon  the  sand,  as  if  conscious  that  his 
strength  was  exhausted. 


H4 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


As  the  young  man  looked  at  his  dying  steed,  for 
the  first  time  a  doubt  arose  in  his  breast,  and  he 
thought  with  terror  of  a  like  fate  that  awaited  him 
if  he  did  not  reach  the  goal  of  his  desires.  But  hope, 
and  a  glance  at  the  picture,  which  he  carried  with 
him,  reanimated  his  courage  anew,  and,  bidding  a  sad 
farewell  to  his  faithful  animal,  he  pursued  his  way  on 
foot. 

To  his  dismay,  he  found  very  early  in  the  day  that 
he  journeyed  much  more  slowly  in  this  way,  and  with 
much  more  difficulty,  than  when  he  sat  high  in  his 
saddle.  It  seemed,  too,  as  though  his  limbs  refused  to 
render  him  their  usual  service,  as  though  something 
deprived  them  of  power,  for,  with  all  his  exertions  to 
proceed  quickly,  he  could  scarcely  take  three  or  four 
brisk  steps  before  he  fell  back  again  into  the  old,  • 
wearisome,  lagging  pace.  Alas !  there  were  two  fearful 
enemies  of  mankind, — hunger  and  thirst, — which  as- 
sailed poor  Saladin  on  all  sides,  laming  his  limbs  and 
making  his  heart  sick. 

Again  the  sun  declined  in  the  heavens,  and  again 
the  Fata  Morgana,  rising  before  him,  gave  him  new 
strength  and  courage,  for  he  was  convinced  that  it  was 
not  so  far  off  as  before.  Fatigue  soon  stretched  him 
upon  the  sand,  but  the  sleep  that  fell  upon  him  was  no 
peaceful,  refreshing  slumber,  only  a  feverish  stupor  that 
closed  his  eyes  without  giving  him  rest. 

When  the  sun  rose  the  next  morning,  Saladin  had 
passed  four  nights,  since  his  flight  from  the  caravan, 
without  tasting  a  morsel  of  food  or  a  drop  of  water. 
Any  other  mortal  would  have  perished,  but,  thanks  to 
the  privations  which  he  had  voluntarily  endured  in 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA.  u5 

Bagdad,  he  was  not  only  still  living,  but  able  to  arise 
and  leave  the  spot,  although  wearily  enough.  His  walk 
was  like  the  pace  of  the  snail,  and,  for  the  first  time, 
the  loneliness  and  desolation  of  the  desert  seemed 
frightful  to  him.  The  slight  doubt  that  had  yesterday 
assailed  him  with  regard  to  the  success  of  his  under- 
taking now  became  a  certainty,  and  he  sighed  for  his 
servant  Ismael,  and  thought  of  the  pain  which  his  flight 
must  have  caused  the  old  man. 

"Ah!"  he  moaned,  "why  did  I  not  attend  to  his 
warnings?  I  might  then  have  returned  happily  to  my 
home,  and  awaited  another  opportunity  to  seek  the 
original  of  my  beloved  picture.  I  should  not  then  have 
perished  miserably  upon  this  waste." 

The  sun  blazed  down  upon  him,  and,  unable  to  bear 
its  fierce  heat,  his  worn-out  body  refused  to  carry  him 
farther.  He  took  out  his  picture,  opened  the  case, 
and  looked  for  the  last  time  at  the  dear  image.  The 
maiden  sat  quietly  as  ever  by  the  fountain,  which  tossed 
high  its  brilliant  spray,  a  few  drops  of  which  would 
have  given  him  new  life.  And  once  more  the  picture 
asserted  its  magic  power  over  him.  Hope  revived 
anew  in  his  soul,  and  he  tried  to  rise  and  drag  himself 
onwards,  but  his  limbs  refused  to  obey  him.  He  sank 
back  upon  the  sand,  closed  his  eyes,  and  resigned  him- 
self to  death. 

Thus  the  night  slowly  approached,  and  a  gentle 
breeze,  blowing  over  the  desert,  cooled  his  hot  cheeks 
and  softly  kissed  his  closed  eyes.  For  the  last  time  the 
wretched  young  man  looked  around  him,  and  his  whole 
previous  life  presented  itself  vividly  before  him.  He 
remembered  all  that  Abou  el  Deri  had  told  him  of  the 


Il6  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


wonderful  way  in  which  the  Prophet  had  rescued  him 
from  the  simoom,  and  he  thought  of  the  day  when  his 
foster-father  had  received  him  from  the  arms  of  his 
dying  mother. 

"Why,"  sighed  he,  "was  I  rescued  then,  to  die  here 
upon  the  same  sand,  without  having  made  my  life  of 
any  use  to  myself  or  others?  Oh,  wherefore?"  Saladin 
implored  of  the  sky  above  him.  But  there  was  no  one 
there  to  reply  to  him. 

The  day  had  now  faded  entirely,  and  with  the  dark 
night,  the  friendly  stars,  and  the  brilliant  moon,  came 
the  poor  young  Saladin's  last  hour.  A  burning  fever 
raged  in  his  veins,  but  his  soul  grew  calmer  and  calmer, 
and  involuntarily  he  crossed  his  hands  upon  his  breast 
as  he  watched  a  star  shoot  brilliantly  from  its  place  and 
vanish  below  the  horizon. 

He  greatly  errs  who  does  not  believe  that  the  desert, 
which  lies  so  blank  and  waste  before  us,  is  peopled  at 
certain  times  of  the  night  by  strange  and  mysterious 
beings.  Only  the  Phantoms  and  Genii  who  make  the 
desert  their  abiding-place  are,  in  accordance  with  the 
character  of  the  place,  of  a  more  grave  and  serious 
character  than  the  Djinns  and  Afrites  who  nightly 
haunt  the  shores  of  the  Nile. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night,  when  the  moon  is  de- 
scending in  the  heavens,  strangely-shaped  mists  appear 
and  cover  the  brow  of  darkness,  for  the  sad  spirits  that 
arise  from  the  sand  of  the  desert  prefer  a  dim  twilight 
to  the  bright  radiance  of  the  moon.  A  gentle  wind 
breathes  above  the  sand-hills  that  often  lie  thickly 
grouped  around,  and  tosses  the  sand  from  them  high 
into  the  air.    But,  wonderful  to  relate,  the  sand  does 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA.  n7 

not  fall  again,  but  rises  higher  and  higher,  inter- 
mingling strangely.  Here  it  grows  lighter,  and  there 
darker, — taking  odd,  airy  shapes,  which  combine  and 
present  the  forms  of  men  and  beasts,  hovering  silently 
about.  And  now  white,  bleached  bones  come  forth  from 
the  sand-hills  and  vanish  among  the  phantoms,  which 
put  themselves  in  motion  and  form  a  long  train.  This 
is  the  spirit-caravan.  All  who  have  perished  in  the 
desert,  those  slain  by  the  sword  or  bullet  of  the 
Bedouins,  as  well. as  those  killed  and  buried  by  the 
simoom,  come  up  from  their  graves,  and  range  them- 
selves in  the  long  procession,  which  winds  slowly 
through  the  waste,  to  the  sound  of  a  muffled  drum. 
It  is  not  good  for  human  eye  to  behold  the  spirit- 
caravan,  for  both  soul  and  body  of  him  who  beholds  it 
sicken, —  he  must  soon  die,  and  perhaps  join  the 
ghostly  train  on  the  succeeding  night.  Many  have  seen 
it  and  told,  before  their  death,  of  the  ghastly  spectacle, 
of  the  solemn-pacing  camels,  with  their  fixed,  lifeless 
eyes,  upon  whose  backs  sit  motionless  men,  with  tur- 
bans flowing  down  over  their  shoulders,  as  in  deep 
mourning,  and  with  garments  fluttering  wildly  in  the 
wind.  The  dead  women  in  the  caravan  sit  bowed 
down  over  their  horses,  wrapping  their  long  veils 
about  their  heads,  as  at  the  approach  of  the  simoom. 
Sometimes  he  who  is  so  unfortunate  as  to  behold  the 
train  recognizes  a  friend  or  relative,  who  beckons  to 
him,  and  alas  for  him  who  receives  such  a  greeting, 
— his  days  are  numbered, — may  the  Prophet  protect 
him! 

Thus  the  young  Saladin  lay,  on  this  night,  and 
wrestled  with  death,  while  strange  pictures  were  pre- 


Ii8  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 

sen  ted  to  his  inward  eye.  It  seemed  to  him  as  though 
the  case,  which  lay  beside  him  on  the  ground,  opened, 
and  the  picture  of  the  Princess  Morgana  slowly  ascended 
from  it,  with  the  green  palm-grove,  beneath  which  she 
sat,  and  the  playing  fountain,  whose  murmur  the  mis- 
erable man  thought  he  could  hear  distinctly.  He 
gazed  fixedly  at  the  beautiful  figure,  and  his  heart  was 
revived  anew,  for  she  slowly  raised  her  head,  and  the 
heavenly  glance  that  she  directed  towards  him  shot 
fresh  power  into  his  limbs.  But  in  vain  !  The  picture 
faded  again,  and  gradually  vanished  into  thin  air. 
Saladin  lay  there  and  listened  to  the  beating  of  his 
heart,  which,  scarcely  audible  at  first,  grew  louder  and 
louder.  Then  it  seemed  to  the  dying  man  as  though 
it  were  not  his  heart  that  he  heard,  but  some  sound 
from  the  far  distance,  which  came  nearer  and  nearer, 
— and  he  was  right.  He  distinctly  heard  the  sound 
of  a  drum,  regularly  struck,  slowly  approaching.  The 
thought  flashed  across  his  mind  that  men  might  be 
coming  to  rescue  him,  but  this  hope  quickly  vanished, 
for  a  caravan  never  pursues  its  way  at  night,  and  the 
sound  which  he  heard  came  ever  nearer.  He  could 
already  distinguish  the  gentle,  measured  tread  of  the 
camels,  and  the  rustling  and  waving  of  the  turbans 
and  garments  of  the  men.  Wearily  he  opened  his 
eyes,  but  closed  them  again  with  a  shudder,  for  he 
saw  the  spirit-caravan  passing  close  beside  him.  The 
ghostly  horsemen  flitted  past,  and  he  saw  them  all, 
although  his  eyes  were  closed.  It  seemed  to  him,  toe, 
that  they  beckoned  to  him,  and  a  dead  negro,  who 
was  just  passing,  showed  his  white  teeth  and  pointed, 
grinning,  to  a  riderless  horse  which  he  led  by  the 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA.  ltg 

bridle.  Multitudes  of  camels  and  horses  swept  by, 
upon  which  sat  forms  shrouded  in  long  garments  and 
veils,  and  none  troubled  themselves  further  concerning 
the  man  who  lay  dying  upon  the  sand. 

Then  a  new  portion  of  the  train  appeared.  There 
were  camels  heavily-laden,  followed  by  numbers  of 
slaves,  on  horseback,  surrounding  a  woman  mounted 
upon  a  noble  Arabian  steed.  The  woman  wore  her 
veil  wrapped  around  her  head,  and  her  gaze  rested 
upon  the  ground.  Suddenly  she  began  to  move,  raised 
her  head,  and  looked  around  with  a  startled  and  terri- 
fied expression.  Her  face  seemed  to  the  young  man 
— oh,  so  well  known  and  so  kindly, — but  he  could  not 
remember  having  seen  it  before.  It  was  like  the 
melody  of  a  song  heard  now  for  the  first  time  since 
earliest  boyhood.  The  woman  fixed  her  eyes  upon 
him  as  he  lay  upon  the  sand,  and  there  suddenly 
dawned  a  gentle  smile  upon  her  pale,  motionless  coun- 
tenance. Hastily  she  drew  aside  her  veil,  turned  her 
horse  from  the  train  to  the  spot  where  the  young  man 
lay,  and  sprang  down  and  kneeled  beside  him,  laying 
her  hand  at  the  same  time  upon  his  heart  and  brow. 

Saladin  hardly  knew  where  he  was.  He  opened  his 
eyes  and  gazed  into  the  face  of  the  kindly  lady,  who, 
bending  over  him,  was  regarding  him  with  the  greatest 
tenderness.  "  Yes,  it  is  he,"  she  said,  in  a  low,  mono- 
tonous voice,  "it  is  my  son  whom  the  simoom  has 
spared,  and  I  behold  him  once  more."  At  these  words 
a  delicious  sensation  pervaded  the  dying  man's  frame, 
and,  horrible  as  the  spirit-caravan  had  at  first  seemed 
to  him,  he  no  longer  felt  as  lonely  as  before  in  the 
desert.  The  slaves,  in  the  midst  of  whom  the  lady  had 


120 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


been  riding,  also  turned  their  horses  aside  from  the 
train  and  surrounded  the  young  man,  gazing  fixedly  at 
him.  The  lady  next  loosened  a  flask  from  her  girdle, 
and  poured  into  his  mouth  several  drops,  which  seemed 
to  run  like  liquid  fire  through  all  his  veins  and  inspire 
him  with  new  strength.  He  was  soon  able  to  arise,  and 
the  preceding  hour  seemed  to  him  HKe  a  dream.  His 
gaze  rested  upon  the  spirit-caravan,  which  was  still 
passing  by  as  if  it  had  no  end,  and  then  he  looked  into 
the  pale  face  of  the  lady  beaming  love  and  tenderness 
upon  him,  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  he  uttered  a 
name  whose  sweet  sound  had  hitherto  been  strange  to 
his  lips.  "Mother,  is  it  thou?"  he  said;  "art  thou  my 
mother,  lost  in  earliest  infancy,  now  appearing  to  rescue 
me  from  death?" 

For  answer,  the  lady  nodded  her  head  sadly  and 
said,  "Yes,  if  I  may."  Then  she  glanced  suddenly 
after  the  caravan,  which  had  now  passed,  and  cast  an 
inquiring  look  upon  her  companions,  who  were  all 
standing  motionless  around  her. 

The  negro  whom  Salad  in  had  noticed,  and  who  had 
grinned  so  significantly,  turned  back  and  came  towards 
them.  He  rode  a  coal-black  horse  and  led  another  by 
the  bridle,  which  he  offered  to  the  young  man,  without 
a  word. 

Saladin,  supported  by  his  mother's  arm,  walked  to 
the  horse  led  by  the  negro  and  mounted  it.  The 
lady  mounted  hers  at  the  same  time,  and  the  train 
moved  on  again,  quickly  but  silently. 

Although  Saladin  knew  perfectly  all  that  had  hap- 
pened to  him  in  the  last  half-hour,  and  although  he 
had  recognized  his  mother  in  the  lady  who  had  rescued 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


I2T 


him  from  death,  yet  these  strange  occurrences  seemed 
to  him  like  some  pleasant  dream.  He  saw  the  lady- 
riding  by  his  side,  tenderly  regarding  him,  and  now 
and  then  laying  her  hand  upon  his  arm.  But  ah  !  his 
first  impressions  returned, — her  hand  was  cold,  and  at 
her  touch  there  went  a  sharp  pain  through  his  limbs: 
and  her  face,  although  full  of  kindliness,  and  dear  tc 
him  as  the  face  of  his  mother,  was  nevertheless  cold, 
lifeless,  and  rigid. 

It  seemed  as  though  the  horses  and  camels  of  the 
caravan  moved  very  slowly,  but  in  reality  they  sped 
onward  with  inconceivable  rapidity.  Scarcely  could 
Saladin  perceive  a  fresh  row  of  sand-hills  on  the 
horizon,  before  they  were  reached  and  left  behind. 

After  they  had  journeyed  on  .  for  some  time  in  this 
way,  suddenly  upon  the  horizon  Saladin  discovered 
gorgeous  palaces,  surrounded  by  graceful  palms,  which 
seemed  to  have  arisen  from  the  ground  as  if  by  magic. 

All  this  presented  a  magnificent  spectacle  in  the  dark 
night.  The  palaces  were  lighted  from  within,  and 
shone  with  the  gayest  colours.  The  thick  groves  of 
oranges,  sycamores,  and  palms  surrounding  the  build- 
ings were  also  illumined  with  brightly-coloured  rays, 
apparently  proceeding  from  the  many  fountains  which 
dotted  the  greensward,  and  which  seemed  as  if  their 
waters  shot  forth  brilliant  vari-coloured  beams. 

Dazzled  by  the  brilliancy,  Saladin  covered  his  eyes 
with  his  hand  at  the  sight  of  this  gorgeous  island  in 
the  midst  of  the  desert,  and  while  he  asked  his  mother 
to  what  mighty  prince  those  palaces  belonged,  a  joyous 
presentiment  shot  through  his  soul. 

ii 


122  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 

"Ah,  my  son,"  replied  the  lady,  "these  palaces 
belong  to  no  powerful  prince;  all  the  grandeur  that 
you  see  glittering  there  before  us  surrounds  the  retreat 
of  the  unhappy  Princess  Morgana." 

You  may  easily  imagine  what  an  impression  these 
words  made  upon  the  heart  of  the  young  man,  and 
with  what  sensations  he  beheld  the  island  lying  a  few 
steps  before  him,  to  reach  which  had  been  his  life- 
long desire,  a  desire  which  had  well-nigh  cost  him 
his  life. 

"Listen,  my  son,"  continued  his  mother.  "What 
you  now  see  before  you  thus  enchantingly  illuminated 
is  the  appearance  which  often  rises  upon  the  gaze  of 
mortals  in  the  desert,  and  which,  on  the  approach  of 
men,  retreats  and  vanishes.  It  is  the  Fata  Morgana, — 
a  paradise  provided  by  the  clemency  of  the  Prophet 
for  those  unfortunates,  of  whom  your  mother  is  one, 
who  perish  in  the  desert,  whom  the  sand  covers,  and 
to  whom  is  denied  the  burial  granted  to  all  true  be- 
lievers. Alas !  for  us  it  does  not  present  the  uninter- 
rupted joy  of  Paradise,  for  as  long  as  the  sun  shines  in 
the  heavens  we  lie  motionless  beneath  the  sands,  and 
only  when  night  comes  do  we  rise  from  our  graves 
and  journey  in  countless  numbers  towards  the  east,  to 
the  realm  of  the  Princess  Morgana,  where  the  night  is 
spent  in  wild  revelry." 

Saladin  scarcely  heard  his  mother's  words,  for  his 
soul  hurried  on  before  the  caravan,  and  already  hovered, 
filled  with  the  wildest  hopes,  among  those  palms  and 
orange-groves,  where  his  eyes  sought  out  the  fountain 
by  whose  brink  he  should  find  the  Princess. 

The  first  train  of  the  caravan  had  now  arrived  at  the 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


island,  and  the  quiet,  motionless  forms  dismounted 
from  their  horses  and  camels  and  vanished  among 
the  trees  and  buildings  in  the  midst  of  the  oasis,  whence 
a  gentle  but  joyous  music  floated. 

Thus  every  train  of  the  caravan  arrived  in  turn,  until 
the  one  approached  in  which  Saladin  rode,  who  was 
scarcely  able  to  sit  upon  his  steed,  so  great  was  his 
impatience.  And  now  this  train  also  arrived,  and 
the  slaves  dismounted  noiselessly  to  hold  the  stirrup 
for  their  mistress  and  her  son.  The  latter  hastily  threw 
himself  from  his  horse  and  was  about  to  rush  quickly 
into  the  grove,  when  his  mother  seized  him  by  the 
hand. 

"Where  are  you  going,  my  son?"  she  asked,  anx- 
iously; "what  spurs  you  on  thus?  Ah!  do  not  join 
the  merry  dances  which  my  companions  in  misfortune 
are  leading.  Refrain  from  beholding  them, — they  are 
not  for  eyes  whence  the  light  of  life  still  beams." 

"Ah!  my  mother,"  rejoined  the  youth,  impatiently, 
"what  do  I  care  for  music  and  dancing?  Something 
far  different, — a  lovely,  enchanting  picture  drove  me 
into  the  desert  and  would  have  driven  me  to  certain 
death,  if  the  Prophet  had  not  rescued  me  by  sending 
you  to  my  relief.  But  now,  O  mother,  I  am  near  the 
original  of  this  picture,  so  I  pray  you  detain  me  no 
longer,  for  I  must  see  her  myself, — I  must  throw  my- 
self at  the  feet  of  the  Princess  Morgana!" 

At  the  mention  of  this  name  his  mother  covered  her 
face  with  her  veil,  and  said,  softly  and  sadly,  "Alas! 
alas  !  my  son,  what  has  happened  to  thee  ?  Who  has 
aroused  in  thy  breast  this  fearful  desire  to  find  the 
Princess  Morgana?    O  my  child,  do  not  go, — do  not 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


join  these  unfortunates  who  pass  in  noisy  revelry  the 
few  hours  nightly  allowed  them  by  the  Prophet,  for 
your  wish  might  be  granted, —  you  might  see  the 
Princess  Morgana,  and  then  death  would  immediately 
seal  your  eyes,  and  you  too  would  have  no  rest  in  the 
grave,  but  be  forced  to  mount  your  steed  every  night 
and  follow  the  spirit-caravan." 

A  mother's  request  is  a  sacred  thing.  However 
strongly  Salad  in  felt  himself  drawn  towards  the  en- 
chanted island,  he  could  not  leave  his  mother,  who 
conjured  him  not  to  mingle  in  the  wild  throng  of 
revellers.  He  followed  her  involuntarily,  and  she  led 
him  to  a  quiet  spot  in  the  oasis,  whither  no  ray  of  the 
brilliant  light  penetrated,  and  where  no  note  of  the 
wild  music  could  be  heard.  She  conducted  him  here 
to  a  mossy  bank,  beside  which  a  little  stream  gurgled, 
surrounded  by  palms  and  sycamores  whose  branches 
formed  an  arbour  over  the  whole  place. 

Here  the  lady  seated  herself,  and  drew  her  son  down 
beside  her  upon  the  bank,  while  she  begged  him  to  tell 
her  everything  that  he  knew  concerning  the  Princess 
Morgana,  and  what  had  induced  him  to  seek  her. 

Minutely  and  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm  Saladin 
then  related  his  story, — told  how  Abou  el  Deri  had 
brought  him  up,  and  how  his  foster-father  had  died  and 
left  him  alone  with  the  old  Ismael.  Then  he  spoke  in 
ardent  terms  of  the  picture  that  he  had  found  by 
chance,  and  told  of  the  illness  that  had  befallen  him 
upon  first  beholding  it,  and  how  the  longing  desire  to 
see  the  original — the  Princess  Morgana — had  never 
since  left  him,  but  that  he  had  been  sunk  in  poverty 
and  misery  until  the  Caliph  Haroun  al  Raschid  had 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


fitted  him  out  and  sent  him  off  with  the  caravan,  which 
he  had  left,  after  several  days,  and,  wandering  about 
alone,  would  have  died  if  his  mother  had  not  found 
and  saved  him. 

At  the  last  words  he  took  from  his  girdle  the  picture 
and  showed  it  to  his  mother,  who  replied,  "My  son,  I 
cannot  understand  by  what  magic  power  this  picture 
has  been  painted,  for  in  truth  these  are  the  very  fea- 
tures of  the  Princess  Morgana." 

"Ah!  see,  mother,"  rejoined  the  young  man,  joy- 
fully, "see,  my  dreams  have  not  lied, — I  am  near  the 
goal  of  my  desires.  Therefore  keep  me  no  longer, — 
let  me  take  this  last  step  towards  my  happiness, — let 
me  see  her,  and  perhaps  enjoy  the  bliss  of  awakening 
her  love." 

At  these  words  the  youth  was  about  to  start  up,  but 
his  mother  again  drew  him  gently  down  beside  her,  and 
begged  him  to  listen  to  all  that  she  would  impart  to 
him  concerning  this  fatally  fair  Princess. 

"The  finding  of  this  picture,  my  son,"  said  she,  "is 
no  mercy  shown  you  by  Allah  and  the  Prophet.  It  is 
rather  a  great  misfortune,  for  if  you  became  ill  at  the 
sight  of  this  picture  only,  a  look  from  the  Princess 
herself — who  excels  a  thousand  times  this  painted 
beauty — would  surely  kill  you.  The  fire  of  her  eye 
glows  so  powerfully  that  it  would  even  warm  our 
frozen  hearts  and  give  us  life  again,  if  the  Prophet's 
mighty  will  did  not  send  us  back  to  our  graves  at  the 
approach  of  dawn. 

"The  Princess  Morgana  is  the  daughter  of  a  fairy, 
who,  before  the  birth  of  her  child,  begged  the  Queen 
of  the  Fairies  to  grant  her  a  favour.    When  she  had 


126  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


gained  her  wish  she  foolishly  implored  for  her  daughter 
such  beauty  that  no  human  being  could  behold  her 
without  dying  of  rapture  and  love.  Her  request  was 
granted,  and  when  the  Princess  Morgana  grew  up,  this 
fatal  gift  worked  dreadful  evil  among  men  and  spirits. 
For,  although  the  latter  could  not  die  at  the  sight  of 
the  Princess,  they  were  devoured  by  the  deepest  melan- 
choly, as  they  could  never  hope  for  a  return  of  love 
from  her,  for  when  the  Queen  had  granted  the  vain 
fairy's  foolish  request  she  had  decreed,  to  punish  her, 
that  only  a  mortal  could  inspire  her  daughter  with  love, 
and  this  could  never  happen,  for  all  men  who  beheld 
her  died  immediately  from  the  effects  of  her  unearthly 
beauty.  Ah!  my  son,"  concluded  his  mother,  "thus 
would  you  die,  and  I  could  not  save  you." 

When  Saladin  had  heard  this  narrative  he  felt  the 
truth  of  it  in  his  heart,  and,  sinking  into  a  mournful 
reverie,  he  considered  whether  it  would  be  worse  to  pass 
his  whole  life  in  unsatisfied  longings  or  to  die  a  sudden 
but  delicious  death  at  the  sight  of  his  loved  one. 

In  the  mean  while  the  night  had  been  wearing  on, 
and  the  stars  began  to  fade  in  the  heavens.  The 
horses,  grouped  together  on  the  sand  outside  of  the 
grove,  became  restless,  and  tossed  their  heads  and 
pawed  the  ground,  for  the  morning  wind  that  blew 
cheerily  across  the  plain  chilled  them. 

"  My  time  is  up,"  the  mother  said  to  her  son,  "  and 
I  must  flee  back  to  the  spot  where  the  simoom  overtook 
and  covered  me.  Will  you  follow  me,  my  son,  and 
wait  beside  my  grave  until  another  night  brings  us 
here  again,  or  will  you  remain  here  and  await  my 
return  ?' 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA.  12"j 

However  willing  the  young  man  might  have  been  to 
follow  his  mother,  you  can  readily  imagine  that  he 
preferred  to  remain  at  least  near  his  beloved  one,  whom 
he  promised,  however,  he  would  make  no  attempt  to 
see.  The  lady  smiled  sadly,  saying,  "Your  will  may 
be  strong,  my  son,  but  your  desire  to  see  the  Princess 
might  make  you  forget  my  words,  so  take  my  veil, 
shroud  your  face  in  its  folds,  and  it  will  keep  you  from 
all  harm." 

She  then  pressed  his  hand  once  more  and  glided 
gently  away,  often  looking  back  and  motioning  to  him 
not  to  follow  her. 

Saladin  had  taken  the  veil  from  her  hand,  and,  as 
she  had  requested,  threw  it  over  his  head,  when,  to  his 
surprise,  he  suddenly  felt  an  unconquerable  weariness 
pervade  his  limbs.  He  had  to  lie  down  upon  the 
mossy  bank,  and,  after  striving  for  a  few  moments 
against  the  stupor  which  seemed  creeping  over  him,  he 
lay  there  motionless  as  a  dead  man.  It  was  no  genuine 
sleep  that  thus  overpowered  him,  for  he  saw  plainly 
everything  that  went  on  around  him,  and  yet  not  as  if 
it  really  took  place,  but  as  though  it  existed  only  in  his 
thoughts.  He  saw  how  his  mother  went  back  to  the 
caravan,  how  she  mounted  her  steed  and  sped  away, 
surrounded  by  her  slaves,  how  their  forms  hovered  over 
the  sand  like  gray  and  black  veils,  which  grew  brighter 
in  the  dawn,  and  before  long  the  whole  train  of  the 
spirit-caravan  vanished  on  the  distant  horizon.  He  lay 
there  quiet,  and,  exhausted  as  he  was  after  his  night 
of  watching,  he  longed  for  sleep,  which  soon  came  to 
him. 

In  the  mean  time  the  day  broke.    The  sun  arose  in 


128  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


the  heavens,  gilding  the  tops  of  the  palms  and  syca- 
mores under  which  Saladin  slept.  Although  his  sleep 
was  deep,  he  was  conscious  m  spite  of  it  of  a  motion 
like  that  of  a  vessel  rocked  gently  by  the  waves  upon 
the  sea.  It  was  a  sea  of  sand  upon  which  he  was 
floating,  and  his  ship  was  the  oasis,  the  phantom  Fata 
Morgana,  which  glides  daily  over  the  sand,  and  like 
the  human  heart  finds  no  rest. 

Suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  his  sleep,  it  seemed  to 
the  young  man  that  he  heard  a  low  rustling  in  the 
bushes,  together  with  light  footsteps  approaching.  He 
tried  to  open  his  eyes,  and  although  he  succeeded  in 
doing  so  he  did  not  awaken  fully,  as  one  does  from 
healthy  slumber,  but  found  himself  in  the  state  in 
which  he  had  been  after  his  mother  left  him  in  the 
morning  and  he  had  drawn  her  veil  over  his  head.  He 
saw  everything  in  a  softened  light.  The  lurid  colour 
of  the  sand  seemed  to  him  a  pale  yellow,  and  he  could 
even  look  into  the  fiery  sun  without  being  dazzled  by 
its  rays. 

But  who  can  describe  his  astonishment  and  rapture 
when  he  looked  around  him  and  perceived  the  form  of 
a  maiden,  who,  lost  in  thought,  was  wandering  in  the 
grove,  and  who  now  approached  him, — his  rapture, 
indeed,  for  he  recognized  in  this  enchanting,  fairy-like 
form  the  Princess  Morgana,  just  as  she  appeared  in  his 
picture?  Her  gaze,  too,  was  directed  towards  the 
ground,  and  although  Saladin  had  heard  his  mother's 
words,  that  the  gaze  of  this  beautiful  vision  was  deadly, 
he  forgot  them  all  now,  and  fervently  prayed  the 
Prophet  to  grant  him  but  one  look  from  that  heavenly 
countenance,  of  which  he  would  willingly  die. 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


The  Princess  had  approached  quite  near  to  him,  when 
she  suddenly  raised  her  head  and  started  with  surprise 
at  sight  of  a  strange  youth. 

Whatever  Saladin  had  heard,  or  learned  from  his  pic- 
ture, of  her  charms  was  far  exceeded  by  the  reality.  At 
the  glance  with  which  the  Princess  regarded  him  he 
seemed  about  to  sicken  anew.  His  blood  coursed  madly 
through  his  veins,  and  it  was  as  though  death  alone 
could  quench  the  fire  kindled  within  him  by  that 
glance.  But,  thanks  to  his  dead  mother's  veil,  the  bril- 
liancy of  the  beauty  which  beamed  forth  upon  him  was 
softened  as  well  as  the  dazzling  fire  of  the  sun,  and  he 
was  thus  saved  from  the  fate  which  would  have  befallen 
any  other  mortal. 

The  Princess  on  her  part  was  not  a  little  astounded 
at  seeing  that  the  handsome  young  man  lay  there  mo- 
tionless. She  departed  after  a  few  moments,  not  with- 
out looking  back  at  him  several  times  to  convince 
herself  that  he  was  not  dead,  as  he  still  did  not  move. 

The  desire  to  ascertain  whether  he  were  living  must 
have  haunted  the  Princess  Morgana  through  the  day, 
for  Saladin  saw  to  his  great  delight  that  she  frequently 
came  and  gazed  at  him.  And  he  found  by  the  beating 
of  his  heart  that  the  agony  that  had  almost  killed 
him  at  the  first  sight  of  the  Princess  was  less  each  time 
that  he  saw  her,  and  towards  evening,  when  she  came, 
he  was  conscious  only  of  an  accelerated  throbbing  in 
his  left  side,  such  as  other  men  experience  when  they 
approach  the  objects  of  their  affections. 

The  sun  again  sank  to  rest,  and  the  night  slowly 
drew  nigh,  and,  when  darkness  reigned  in  the  desert, 
the  same  bewildering  revelry  was  held  in  the  oasis  as 


130  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 

upon  the  previous  night.  The  water  in  the  fountains 
and  streams  shone  with  many  colours  and  illumined  the 
trees  and  palaces  with  a  magic  brilliancy.  Music 
sounded  from  afar,  and  Saladin  instantly  felt  that  the 
invisible  fetters  in  which  he  had  lain  bound  were 
loosened,  and  that  he  could  move  once  more.  He 
sprang  up  from  his  grassy  couch,  and  his  first  thought 
was  to  hasten  to  the  interior  of  the  island,  seek  out  the 
Princess  Morgana,  and,  throwing  himself  at  her  feet, 
confess  his  passion.  But  he  remembered  in  time  his 
mother's  words,  and  therefore  determined  to  await  her 
return. 

He  soon  descried  afar  in  the  desert  the  spirit- 
caravan,  as  it  approached,  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
ghostly  horsemen  thronged  in,  hastily  left  their  steeds 
and  camels,  and  sought  the  interior  of  the  island,  where 
reigned  the  riotous  mirth  of  the  preceding  night.  And 
Saladin' s  mother  also  appeared  and  hastened  joyfully 
towards  her  son  when  she  perceived  him  safe  and  well 
in  the  spot  where  she  had  left  him.  He  hurriedly  in- 
formed her  that  the  Princess  had  appeared  before  him 
several  times  during  the  day,  that  his  love  for  her  had 
increased  a  thousandfold,  and  that  on  the  morrow  no 
power  upon  earth  should  withhold  him  from  throwing 
himself  at  her  feet. 

"Ah!  mother,"  he  sighed,  "who  knows  whether  fate 
does  not  decree  that  I  shall  win  her  love  and  be  the 
happiest  of  men?  If  your  veil  has  preserved  me  from 
suddenly  dying  at  sight  of  her  beauty,  I  have  also  be- 
come somewhat  accustomed  to  its  beams,  and  to- 
morrow I  will  endeavour  to  behold  her  even  though  I 
perish  in  the  attempt." 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA.  131 

-In  vain  were  the  prayers  and  entreaties  of  his  mother. 
Love  for  the  beautiful  princess  had  become  too  mighty 
in  the  young  man's  breast.  He  understood  perfectly 
that  it  was  a  question  of  life  or  death,  but  when  his 
mother,  upon  her  departure  in  the  gray  dawn,  left  her 
veil  again,  he  accepted  it  indeed,  but  took  great  care 
not  to  wrap  it  around  his  head  as  before. 

Waiting  and  hoping,  he  sat  there  longing  for  the 
break  of  day.  The  sun  again  rose  high  in  the  heavens, 
and,  earnestly  as  he  had  longed  to  see  the  Princess, 
now  that  the  wished-for  time  had  come,  he  delayed 
and  lingered  minute  after  minute,  so  that  some  time 
elapsed  before  he  sought  the  interior  of  the  oasis. 

How  tall  and  stately  were  the  trees  here,  and  what  a 
fresh  green  covered  the  ground  !  He  had  never  seen 
anything  like  it, — the  clear  streams  gurgled  over  silver 
sands,  and  the  fountains  cooled  the  air.  And  how 
beautiful  were  the  graceful  palaces  and  pavilions  by 
which  he  passed!  This  must  be  Paradise  indeed.  Where- 
ever  he  turned  his  gaze  a  new  and  enchanting  prospect 
greeted  him.  Light  and  shade,  trees  and  water,  with 
stately  edifices,  combined  to  form  the  most  delicious 
variety.  Suddenly  Saladin  felt  by  the  beating  of  his 
heart  that  he  was  approaching  the  object  of  his  search. 
He  stood  still  for  a  moment,  and  his  breath  came  quick. 
Yes,  he  saw  through  the  trees  the  fountain  which  he 
had  gazed  at  so  many  thousand  times  in  his  picture, 
and  by  its  brink  sat  the  Princess,  her  head  on  her  hand, 
as  in  the  portrait. 

With  faltering  steps  he  drew  near,  and  overcome 
either  by  sudden  weakness  or  by  uncontrollable  love,  he 
sank  on  one  knee,  scarcely  daring  to  raise  his  eyes. 


I32 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


Thus  he  remained  before  her  for  a  few  moments,  when 
the  Princess  raised  her  head  and  shrieked  loudly,  as  she 
saw  the  young  man  kneeling  at  her  feet.  Oh !  that  he 
had  had  his  mother's  veil  over  his  eyes  to  dim  for  a 
moment  the  full  blaze  of  her  beauty !  Although  he  had 
become  somewhat  accustomed  to  it  the  day  before,  he 
could  not  bear  it  to-day,  and  sank  confused  and  half 
unconscious  at  the  feet  of  his  loved  one. 

When  after  a  few  moments  he  returned  to  full  con- 
sciousness and  opened  his  eyes  he  saw,  to  his  unspeak- 
able delight,  that  she  was  bending  over  him,  regarding 
him  with  an  anxious  expression.  Although  he  closed 
his  eyes  again,  he  could  feel  plainly  that,  instead  of  the 
devouring  flame  which  had  before  threatened  his  ruin, 
a  gentle  glow  inspired  his  frame.  He  seized  the  hand 
of  the  Princess,  pressed  it  to  his  heart,  and  stammered 
forth  the  words,  "Ah!  may  the  Prophet  grant  me  a 
few  more  moments  of  existence,  that  I  may  tell  you 
how  deeply  I  love  you  ! ' ' 

The  Princess  appeared  no  less  rejoiced  than  Saladin, 
and,  could  you  have  seen  how  her  eyes  gazed  into  his, 
you  would  not  have  doubted  that  a  sudden  love  for  the 
young  man  had  sprung  up  within  her,  and  that  the 
Fairy  Queen's  spell  was  broken.  For  although  the 
Princess  Morgana' s  beauty  was,  and  continued  to  be, 
so  eminent  and  distinguished,  that  nothing  like  it  could 
be  found  in  the  world, — yet  the  devouring  flame  in  her 
eyes  changed,  from  the  moment  when  she  gave  Saladin 
her  heart,  into  an  enlivening  glow  that  cheered  all 
who  looked  at  her. 

They  loved  each  other  deeply  and  truly,  and  you 
can  easily  imagine  what  a  blissful  day  they  passed  in 


e  saw,  to  his  unspeakable  delight,  that  she  was  bending  over  him 
regarding  him  with  an  anxious  expression." 

Page  132. 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


the  lovely  oasis.  When  it  was  gone,  and  the  night 
approached,  the  Princess  arose  from  her  lover's  side  to 
withdraw,  as  she  said,  to  her  own  apartments. 

"O  my  beloved,"  said  she,  "I  must  inform  my 
mother,  who  grieves  over  her  daughter's  fate,  of 
the  happiness  that  the  Prophet  has  granted  me  in 
sending  you  to  me.  My  messenger  will  be  swift, 
and,  although  she  is  thousands  of  miles  away,  he  will 
return  before  daybreak  and  bring  me  permission  to 
leave  this  lonely  oasis  and  go  with  you  whithersoever 
you  will." 

After  these  words  she  withdrew  herself  gently  from 
the  young  man's  arms  and  vanished  in  the  grove, 
whither  Saladin  forbore  to  follow  her. 

He  awaited  nightfall  with  impatience,  that  he  might 
tell  his  mother  of  his  good  fortune.  Before  long  the 
spirit-caravan  arrived,  and  his  mother  hastened  to 
the  arbour,  overjoyed  to  find  her  son  again  safe.  But 
greater  still  was  her  delight  when  Saladin  related  the 
events  of  the  day,  and  how  he  had  been  blessed  by 
the  love  of  the  Princess  Morgana.  He  told  his  mother 
that  he  should  probably  leave  the  oasis  on  the  morrow 
to  return,  with  his  beloved  one,  to  the  haunts  of  men, 
and  spoke  of  his  distress  in  seeing  her  for  the  last  time, 
to-day.  She  comforted  him,  begging  him  not  to  forget 
her,  and  to  perform  in  memory  of  his  mother  the 
burial  service  accorded  to  all  true  believers,  that  her 
soul  might  enter  in  and  partake  of  the  joys  of  Paradise, 
and  no  longer  be  obliged  to  join  the  spirit-caravan 
every  night. 

Saladin  promised  this,  with  many  tears,  and  when 
the  dawn  came  his  mother  blessed  him  and  calmly  parted 

12 


134 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


from  him.  She  mounted  her  steed  and  glided  away 
with  the  caravan  for  the  last  time.  Saladin  followed 
her  long  with  his  eyes,  while  he  inwardly  prayed  the 
Prophet  to  have  mercy  on  her  soul. 

Scarcely  had  the  rising  sun  crimsoned  the  tops  of  the 
trees  and  played  upon  the  gilded  roofs  of  the  palaces, 
when  the  young  man  heard  from  the  interior  of  the 
oasis  a  confused  noise  of  human  voices,  with  the  neigh- 
ing of  horses  and  the  unpacking  of  camels.  He  in- 
stantly arose  from  his  mossy  seat  and  went  towards  the 
grove.  He  thought  at  first  that  the  spirit-caravan  had 
returned,  and  his  joy  was  all  the  greater  when,  stepping 
out  upon  an  open  square  in  the  centre  of  the  oasis,  he 
beheld  another  caravan,  composed  of  men,  camels,  and 
horses.  Still  greater  was  his  delight  when  the  Princess 
Morgana  approached  from  the  other  side  of  the  square, 
surrounded  and  followed  by  a  throng  of  waiting-women 
and  slaves,  among  whom  she  shone  forth  brighter  than 
the  moon  among  the  stars. 

She  stepped  up  to  the  young  man,  and,  giving  him 
her  hand,  turned  to  her  companions  and  said  to  them, 
as  well  as  to  the  whole  caravan,  "Behold  your  lord!" 
whereupon  the  women  waved  their  veils,  and  the  men 
gave  a  joyful  shout. 

"Beloved,"  then  said  the  Princess  to  Saladin,  "my 
mother  rejoices  in  her  daughter's  good  fortune,  and  the 
camels  laden  with  treasure,  which  you  see  here,  she 
sends  for  my  dowry.  Each  of  them  is  heavily  laden 
with  gold  and  silver,  and  would  alone  suffice  to  enrich 
a  man  for  life." 

Then  the  Princess  beckoned  with  her  hand,  and 
black  slaves  brought  two  splendid  Arabian  chargers, 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


135 


upon  one  of  which  she  mounted,  while  Saladin  took 
the  other.  They  placed  themselves  at  the  head  of  the 
train,  which  now  proceeded  into  the  desert.  When 
they  had  left  the  beautiful  oasis,  with  its  fresh  waving 
green  and  its  clear  waters,  behind  them,  the  Princess 
and  her  husband  turned  their  horses,  and  both  uttered  a 
gentle  farewell  to  the  place  where  they  had  found  each 
other  and  been  so  happy.  Ah !  it  was  an  eternal  fare- 
well. For  when  their  feet  had  once  left  this  green 
island  they  might  return  thither  never  again.  They 
beheld  with  surprise  the  oasis  leave  the  spot  where  it 
had  rested,  and  float  farther  and  farther  away  over  the 
sand.  They  soon  saw  it  on  the  distant  horizon,  just  as 
it  is  still  seen  by  travellers  on  clear  days.  The  palms 
tremble  and  wave,  the  waters  glisten,  and  the  outline 
of  the  Fata  Morgana  grows  dim  and  blends  with  the 
sand  and  sky,  so  that  one  cannot  say  exactly  where  it 
begins  and  where  it  ends, — an  image  of  love  in  the 
human  heart. 

Amid  the  sound  of  small  drums  and  the  blowing  of 
large  horns  the  caravan  pursued  its  way  through  the 
desert. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  aged  Ismael  and  the  cara- 
van in  which  Saladin  had  begun  his  journey  into  the 
desert. 

When  the  morning  dawned  after  the  night  in  which 
Saladin  had  left  his  old  servant,  Ismael  awakened  from 
a  deep  and  sound  slumber.  He  looked  around  him 
amazed  when  he  saw  his  master's  couch  empty,  but  sus- 
pected nothing  at  first,  supposing  that  Saladin  had  left 
the  tent  early  to*  enjoy  the  fresh  morning.    But  when, 


136  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


at  the  end  of  an  hour,  he  did  not  return,  the  old  man 
left  the  tent  himself  and  noticed  that  his  master's  horse 
also  was  missing.  When  the  train  at  last  began  its 
march,  and  Saladin  had  not  yet  appeared,  Ismael  be- 
came anxious,  and,  searching  through  the  throng,  asked 
if  any  one  of  the  sentinels  had  seen  the  youth. 

But  no  one  knew  anything  of  him  or  could  relieve 
Ismael  from  his  anxiety.  "Ah!"  thought  the  old  man 
to  himself,  "  whither  can  he  have  gone?  What  can  have 
lured  him  into  the  desert,  where  certain  death  awaits 
him?"  The  thought  that,  in  the  madness  of  his 
passion,  Saladin  had  left  the  caravan  to  wander  alone 
in  the  desert,  in  a  vain  search  for  the  original  of  the 
ill-omened  picture,  filled  the  mind  of  the  faithful 
servant  with  distress,  and  when  the  next  day  and  the 
next  brought  no  news  of  him,  he  became  convinced  that 
his  master  was  alone  in  the  wilderness.  How  gladly 
would  he  have  followed  him, — but  whither  should  he 
turn  his  footsteps?  So  the  faithful  old  man  had  to 
remain  with  the  caravan,  returning  sad  and  dejected  to 
Damascus,  where  a  new  misfortune  awaited  him,  for 
the  slaves  that  the  Caliph  had  presented  to  him,  weary 
of  serving  one  whom  they  considered  their  equal,  de- 
camped one  morning  with  the  remaining  horses  and 
all  the  money,  so  that  nothing  was  left  the  unfor- 
tunate man  but  the  clothes  upon  his  back  and  a  few 
pieces  of  gold  which  he  had  carried  in  his  girdle. 

What  should  he  do  now?  His  wisest  course  seemed 
to  be  to  return  with  the  caravan  to  Bagdad,  for  he 
believed  sincerely  that  his  young  master,  should  he 
yet  survive,  would  seek  that  city,  where  he  might 
find  his  old  servant.     He  therefore  hired  an  old 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA.  137 

camel,  and  after  a  sad  and  wearisome  journey  arrived 
at  Bagdad. 

If  the  people  in  the  bazaars  and  streets  had  forgotten 
the  evil  stories  that  they  had  circulated  concerning  old 
Ismael  and  the  young  man,  the  return  of  the  caravan 
reminded  them  of  them  again,  and  they  asked  what  had 
become  of  the  old  rogue.  With  malicious  satisfaction 
they  heard  that  the  young  man  had  escaped  from  the 
old  one,  who,  poor  and  ragged,  had  returned  alone 
upon  an  old,  shabby  camel. 

"  Don't  you  see,"  cried  the  barber  at  the  great  Cara- 
vanserai, "don't  you  see  that  I  was  right?  Yes,  yes, 
the  Prophet,  in  his  mercy,  punishes  sinners  through 
their  own  crimes.  The  old  fellow  thought  to  deceive 
the  Caliph  and  has  been  in  his  turn  befooled  by  the 
young  thief.  God  protect  our  Caliph,  Haroun  al 
Raschid  !    For  the  future  he  will  be  more  prudent." 

Poor  Ismael,  who  knew  nothing  of  all  the  evil  that 
had  been  said  about  him,  was  no  sooner  within  the 
walls  of  Bagdad  than  he  repaired  to  the  court-yard  of 
the  palace,  that  he  might  throw  himself  at  the  feet 
of.  the  Caliph,  who  was  soon  to  issue  from  the  palace 
on  his  way  to  the  mosque. 

He  had  not  waited  here  long  when  the  Grand  Vizier 
rode  through  the  gate  on  his  way  to  his  master.  No 
sooner  did  the  Vizier  perceive  the  old  man  than,  with 
knitted  brows,  he  commanded  the  captain  of  the  guard 
to  take  him  into  custody,  a  command  which,  to  Is- 
mael's  dismay,  was  executed  on  the  spot.  Two  soldiers 
took  him  between  them  and  thrust  him  into  one  of  the 
dungeons  of  the  palace,  where  he  was  left  until  the 
following  day. 

12* 


f$8  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


The  unhappy  Ismael,  who  had  lately  undergone  to 
many  misfortunes,  received  this  imprisonment  as  a  trial 
whereby  the  Prophet  wished  to  prove  him.  Besides, 
he  had  no  doubt  that  he  had  been  mistaken  for  some- 
body else,  as  he  was  entirely  unconscious  of  all  offence. 
After  passing  the  night  in  prison,  revolving  many  things 
sadly  in  his  mind,  he  was  conducted,  the  next  morning, 
before  the  Caliph,  whom  he  found  alone  with  his  Grand 
Vizier,  in  his  apartment, — but  they  no  longer  regarded 
him  with  the  same  friendliness  as  upon  his  first  inter- 
view with  the  Commander  of  the  Faithful. 

Haroun  al  Raschid  frowned  as  he  entered,  and  the 
Grand  Vizier  commanded  him  to  draw  near. 

"Who  art  thou?"  began  Abdallah.  To  this  ques- 
tion the  old  man  joyfully  replied,  "Ah,  my  lord,  I 
have  the  honor  of  being  already  known  to  you, — I 
am  Ismael,  the  servant  of  Abou  el  Deri." 

The  poor  fellow  still  believed  that  they  were  mistaken 
in  his  person,  and  that  he  was  suffering  in  place  of 
another.  But  what  was  his  terror  when  the  Vizier 
continued,  in  a  wrathful  voice,  "How!  Do  you  still 
dare  insult  the  presence  of  your  lord  and  Caliph  with 
such  falsehoods  ?  Abou  el  Deri  was  a  faithful  Mussul- 
man, and  did  not  choose  deceivers  and  thieves  for  his 
servants." 

"Oh,  sir,"  replied  Ismael,  "what  are  you  saying? 
I  am  a  poor  old  man,  sorely  beset  by  misfortune,  but, 
by  my  faith  in  the  Prophet,  I  have  never  stolen  the 
worth  of  a  piastre,  and  never  spoken  an  untruth." 

"Listen,  Ismael,"  said  the  kind-hearted  Caliph. 
"Your  denial  can  avail  you  nothing,— rather  confess 
your  roguery,  that  I  may  show  myself  merciful  to  you." 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


1 39 


"What,  then,  can  I  confess?"  cried  the  old  man, 
throwing  himself  upon  his  knees  before  the  Caliph. 

"First,"  began  the  Grand  Vizier  again,  "who  was 
the  young  man  whom  you  represented  as  the  son  of 
Abou  el  Deri,  and  where  is  he  now?" 

"Ah,  sir,  the  young  Saladin,"  replied  the  old 
man, — "he  was  the  foster-son  of  Abou  el  Deri,  but 
where  he  now  is,  is  known  only  to  Allah  and  His  Pro- 
phet." 

"Do  you  persist,  then,"  rejoined  the  Vizier,  "in 
your  falsehoods  ?  Then  I  must  tell  you  the  truth,  that 
you  may  know  we  have  discovered  your  tricks  and 
have  not  imprisoned  you  unlawfully.  The  young 
rogue  whom  you  palmed  upon  us  as  Abou  el  Deri's 
foster-son,  and  upon  whom  my  generous  master,  the 
Caliph,  showered  his  favour  in  consequence  of  your 
cunning  fictions,  was  as  little  the  son  as  you  were  the 
servant  of  Abou  el  Deri.  He  never  was  even  found  as 
an  infant  in  the  desert  and  brought  up  by  you,  but  you 
took  him  from  the  shop  of  a  barber  and  instructed  him 
that  he  might  impose  upon  the  Caliph." 

Ismael  did  not  at  first  know  what  to  say  to  this  accu- 
sation, the  last  that  he  could  have  expected.  As 
soon  as  he  recovered  from  the  first  shock  of  fright  he 
affirmed,  by  the  beard  of  the  Prophet,  and  by  all  else 
holy,  that  the  Vizier  was  wrong,  and  that  Saladin  was 
really  the  son  of  Abou  el  Deri.  But  of  what  avail  were 
his  oaths  and  protestations?  Of  what  avail  was  his  mi- 
nute description  of  his  journey  from  the  time  of  leaving 
Bagdad  to  the  night  when  he  lost  his  young  master  ? 
Neither  Caliph  nor  Grand  Vizier  believed  him,  and 
when  he  had  finished,  Abdallah  clapped  his  hands  and 


£40  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


commanded  the  barber  of  the  great  Caravanserai  to  be 
brought  in. 

The  barber  repeated  his  declaration  that  the  young 
man  to  whom,  under  the  name  of  Saladin,  the  Caliph 
had  shown  such  favour,  had  been  one  of  his  assistants 
and  had  run  away  from  him  a  few  months  before.  And 
then  he  added,  with  a  side  glance  at  Ismael,  "  Com- 
mander of  the  Faithful,  all  men  are  liable  to  err,  but  it 
seems  to  me  as  if  often  during  the  time  that  my  knavish 
servant  was  with  me  I  have  seen  this  old  man  confer- 
ring with  him,  probably  as  to  the  means  of  imposing 
upon  your  Highness's  benevolence." 

The  Caliph  heard  these  assertions  with  a  gloomy 
brow,  and  when  the  barber  had  finished  he  said  to  the 
old  man:  "  Hearken,  Ismael,  I  am  sorry  that  I  have 
discovered  you  in  this  villany,  and  however  I  might 
desire  to  let  you  go  unpunished,  justice  demands  that 
evil  deeds  should  not  go  unrewarded.  But,  as  I  will 
not  unite  accuser  and  judge  in  one  person,  you  shall  be 
taken  before  the  Cadi  of  my  city  of  Bagdad,  and  he 
shall  pronounce  sentence  upon  you,  after  a  due  exam- 
ination of  the  circumstances." 

Then  Ismael  was  remanded  to  prison  and  the  nex* 
day  carried  before  the  Cadi,  where  the  barber  repeated 
all  that  he  had  said  the  day  before,  and  the  supreme 
judge  of  the  city  of  Bagdad  decided  that  Ismael  was 
guilty  of  the  fault  whereof  he  was  accused — namely,  of 
imposing  upon  the  Caliph  with  vile  fabrications — and 
sentenced  him  to  receive  five  hundred  blows  upon  the 
soles  of  his  feet  and  be  imprisoned  for  ten  years.  As 
a  special  favour,  the  judge  reprieved  him  for  three 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


I41 


days,  within  which  time  the  young  man  might  perhaps 
return  and  prove  his  innocence 

The  Caliph's  clemency  also  revoked  the  five  hundred 
blows  upon  the  soles  of  his  feet.  But  when  the  three 
days  passed  and  no  Saladin  appeared,  Ismael  was  sent 
to  prison,  and  employed  with  thieves  and  murderers  to 
row  the  galleys  upon  the  Tigris  and  to  perform  similar 
hard  labour. 

To  this  misery  the  unfortunate  man  had  been  brought 
as  much  by  his  fidelity  to  his  old  and  young  master 
a5  by  the  rashness  of  the  latter.  He  rejoiced  that  in 
the  course  of  nature  he  should  not  thus  innocently 
endure  this  severe  punishment  many  years.  For  the 
first  time  now  he  thought  gladly  of  his  age,  and 
looked  upon  death  as  a  benefactor  who  would  relieve 
him  from  all  his  woes.  It  pained  him  deeply  that  the 
good  Caliph  really  believed  him  guilty,  and  he  would 
willingly  have  endured  a  much  more  severe  punishment 
if  it  would  have  enabled  him  to  convince  Haroun  al 
Raschid  and  his  Vizier  of  his  innocence.  He  still 
cherished  a  faint  hope  that  his  young  master  might  re- 
turn, perhaps  successful,  and  establish  his  innocence  in 
the  most  satisfactory  manner.  But  day  after  day  and 
week  after  week  passed  away,  and  Ismael  hoped  and 
waited  in  vain. 

It  happened  one  morning  that  he  was  occupied  with 
some  of  his  fellow-prisoners  in  towing  a  great  ship 
out  to  sea  The  heat  of  the  day  was  most  oppressive, 
and  the  poor  prisoners  were  permitted  now  and  then  to 
cease  working  and  repose  in  the  shade  of  the  trees 
which  grew  upon  the  shore.  Here  lay  Ismael,  gazing 
out  into  the  distance,  when  he  saw  a  large  and  wealthy 


1 4i  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 

caravan  approaching  the  city  of  Bagdad  from  afar.  At 
sipht  of  the  heavily-laden  camels  and  the  multitude  of 
slaves,  he  was  reminded  vividly  of  the  times  when  in 
juht  such  a  brilliant  train  he  had  wandered  gaily  through 
the  land  with  his  master,  Abou  el  Deri. 

In  the  mean  time  the  caravan  drew_nearer,  and 
Ismael,  as  well  as  the  other  prisoners,  was  obliged  to 
confess  that  he  had  not  for  a  long  time  seen  so  magni- 
ficent a  train.  The  camels  were  all  of  uncommon 
beauty  and  strength,  and  laden  in  the  carefullest  and 
richest  manner.  The  multitude  of  slaves  seemed  count- 
less, all  riding  powerful  and  beautiful  horses,  and  their 
apparel  was  so  splendid  that  they  might  have  been 
taken  for  the  masters  of  the  train,  if  the  owners  them- 
selves, as  they  rode  in  the  midst  of  the  procession,  had 
not  attracted  all  eyes  by  the  splendour  of  their  gar- 
ments and  the  beauty  of  their  horses.  Here  too  could 
be  seen  a  great  number  of  female  slaves,  all  surrounding 
a  beautiful  lady,  and  the  brightness  of  their  gold-em- 
broidered dresses  and  veils  was  so  great  that  the  eye 
could  scarcely  bear  it. 

Ismael  turned  away  his  head  and  went  sighing  to  his 
hard  labour,  while  the  caravan  with  great  pomp  entered 
Bagdad. 

Although  the  poor  slave  had  often  before  seen  cara- 
vans pass  by,  none  had  ever  excited  his  imagination  as 
this  had  done,  and  when  after  weary  hours  of  labour 
he  was  permitted,  with  his  fellow-prisoners,  to  rest 
on  the  shores  of  the  Tigris,  he  employed  himself  in 
building  the  most  lovely  castles  in  the  air,  thinking, — 
"Oh!  if  my  young  master  would  only  return  with  such 
a  splendid  train  and  release  me, — if  he  would  only  pre- 


THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 


sent  himself  before  the  Caliph  Haroun  al  Raschid, 
leading  by  the  hand  the  beautiful  Princess  Morgana — 
a  living  witness  that  1  have  spoken  the  truth, — and 
asking  what  had  become  of  his  faithful  servant  Ismael." 

Such  were  his  thoughts  while  he  ate  his  coarse  fare, 
when  suddenly  the  overseer  of  the  prisoners,  accom- 
panied by  two  slaves,  came  riding  hastily  up,  and  com^ 
manded  the  old  man  to  follow  him. 

Ismael,  fearing  at  first  that  the  Cadi  of  Bagdad 
had  again  sentenced  him  to  receive  the  five  hundred 
lashes,  for  he  could  think  of  no  other  reason  why  they 
should  send  for  such  a  poor  old  man,  accompanied 
the  overseer  to  his  dwelling  with  a  sad  heart,  and  was 
not  a  little  surprised  when,  upon  his  arrival  there,  his 
old  clothes  were  taken  from  him  and  he  was  provided 
with  a  good  caftan  and  a  clean  turban.  To  his  ques- 
tions the  only  reply  of  the  overseer  was  that  he  had 
orders  to  take  him  immediately  before  the  Caliph.  This 
intelligence  the  old  man  received  with  joy,  for  what 
could  the  generous  Caliph  want  him  for  except  to  show 
him  mercy!  "Perhaps,"  he  thought,  "my  innocence 
is  made  clear,  or  it  may  be  my  young  master  has 
returned."  But  he  could  not  dwell  upon  this  last 
thought, — it  was  too  great  and  bewildering. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  palace  of  the  Caliph, 
Ismael  was  conducted  to  an  antechamber,  where  the 
Grand  Vizier  himself  came  towards  him,  and  gave  him 
his  hand,  saying,  in  a  voice  full  of  emotion,  "Ismael, 
in  our  blindness  we  have  done  you  great  injustice,  but 
the  Prophet,  who  has  brought  your  innocence  to  light, 
will  reward  you  richly.    Follow  me  to  the  Caliph." 

Trembling  with  delight,  the  faithful  old  servant  fol- 


144  THE  PRINCESS  MORGANA. 

lowed  the  Vizier  into  the  next  apartment.  Here  he 
remained  standing  at  the  door,  with  his  eyes  cast 
down,  not  daring  to  look  in  the  face  of  Haroun  al 
Raschid.  But  when  the  Commander  of  the  Faithful 
called  him  by  name  in  a  friendly  tone,  he  looked  up, 
and  who  shall  describe  his  joy  when  he  perceived  his 
young  master,  whom  he  had  so  long  thought  dead, 
and  who  now,  springing  forward,  fell  weeping  upon 
his  neck  ? 

The  old  man  was  quite  overcome  when  Saladin  re- 
lated his  adventures  to  him,  and  then,  taking  him  by 
the  hand,  presented  him  to  his  wife,  the  Princess  Mor- 
gana. The  narrative  was  so  wonderful,  and  the  beauty 
of  the  princess  so  dazzling,  that  all  things  grew  dark 
before  Ismael's  eyes,  and  he  was  obliged  to  lean  upon 
a  divan  lest  he  should  fall  upon  the  ground. 

Now  there  was  rejoicing  everywhere.  The  young 
Saladin  built  himself  a  splendid  palace  upon  the  banks 
of  the  Tigris,  and  lived  there  with  his  beautiful  wife 
and  his  faithful  servants,  greatly  beloved  by  every  one 
for  his  generosity  and  kindness  of  heart,  and  highly 
honoured  by  the  Caliph  for  his  nobility  of  disposition 
and  his  various  good  qualities. 

And  as  by  Ismael's  release  a  place  was  left  vacant 
among  the  imprisoned  criminals,  the  Caliph  ordered 
that  it  should  be  filled  by  the  malicious  barber,  who 
received  the  five  hundred  blows  upon  the  soles  of  his 
feet  that  had  at  first  been  awarded  to  the  faithful 
servant. 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


In  those  old  times  whence  most  of  our  beautiful  le- 
gends and  stories  have  come  down  to  us,  the  wide- 
spreading  fields  upon  both  banks  of  the  Neckar  were 
not,  as  in  these  days,  waving  with  grain  and  blossoming 
with  fruits  and  flowers.  The  hills  were  covered  with 
dark  and  almost  impenetrable  forests,  and  were  only 
here  and  there  crowned  with  the  grim,  frowning  bat- 
tlements of  some  castle,  whose  walls  are  still  standing 
perhaps,  a  monument  of  former  years.  But  these 
gloomy  piles  whose  towers  and  windows  are  now 
wreathed  with  graceful  ivy,  once  resounded  with  the 
bustle  and  noise  of  an  existence  far  different  from  any 
that  we  are  nowadays  acquainted  with.  Instead  of 
the  merry  song  of  the  vine-tender  or  the  rattle  of 
wagons  driven  to  the  fields  to  return  laden  with  golden 
grain,  the  man-at-arms,  clad  in  steel,  looked  abroad 
from  those  battlements,  and  heard  only  at  times  the 
rustle  of  a  herd  of  deer  in  the  thicket  below  or  the 
blow  of  the  axe  levelling  some  mighty  monarch  of 
the  forest.  The  Neckar,  flowing  clearly  then  as  now 
among  the  surrounding  mountains,  saw  no  busy  cities 
and  happy  villages  upon  its  banks,  bounded  by  meadows 
and  clothed  with  long  grass,  through  which  might  be 
traced  the  paths  worn  by  the  deer  that  came  down  to 
the  river  to  drink. 

About  a  mile  from  the  river  was  a  beautiful  valley, 
shut  in  by  protecting  mountains,  where  a  solemn 
K  13  (i45) 


t46 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


and  yet  attractive  solitude  reigned, — a  quiet,  peace- 
ful vale,  retired  enough  to  escape  the  notice  of 
the  traveller  journeying  along  the  highways,  and  yet 
extensive  enough  o  afford  those  who  should  dwell 
there  an  ample  and  refreshing  variety  of  wood  and 
field,  meadow,  brook,  and  glen,  for  it  was  abund- 
antly watered  by  crystal  streams  from  the  encircling 
mountains. 

From  these  mountains,  ascending  gently  from  the 
valley,  there  was  a  wide  prospect  over  the  country 
around ;  the  winding  course  of  the  Neckar  could  be 
traced  among  the  forests  beneath  until  it  was  lost  in 
the  distant  hills,  which  were  overtopped  by  the  lofty 
rang«  bounding  the  horizon.  But  those  who  most  en- 
joyed this  beautiful  prospect  would  have  been  glad  to 
descend  again  into  the  valley,  for  it  was  far  more  beau- 
tiful than  any  other  in  the  land.  Even  the  deer  of  the 
forest  bore  witness  to  its  beauty.  Although  the  shade 
of  the  lofty  oaks  upon  the  mountains  might  tempt  them 
to  wander  thither  during  the  day,  they  always  returned 
to  the  valley,  as  to  a  peaceful  home,  at  the  approach 
of  evening. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  all  the  gift?  lavished  by  nature 
upon  this  fair  spot,  it  was  uninhabited  by  any  human 
being, — nay,  it  was  actually  avoided  by  every  dweller  in 
the  country  around.  When  the  huntsmen  and  pages 
from  the  castles  in  its  neighbourhood,  in  the  ardour  of 
the  chase,  pursued  their  game  to  the  borders  of  this 
lovely  valley,  they  never  followed  their  wished-for 
prize  within  its  limits,  but  let  it  escape  unmolested. 
Sometimes,  indeed,  the  younger  and  more  inexpe- 
rienced of  the  train  would  follow  with  longing  eyes 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


147 


the  bounding  stag,  and  attempt  to  pursue  it, — but  they 
were  always  restrained  by  the  older  and  wiser  hunts- 
men, who  would  relate  to  them,  if  they  had  never 
heard  it,  the  old  legend  which,  handed  down  among 
the  people  for  many  years,  had  caused  the  valley 
to  be  avoided  with  horror  by  all,  and  the  least  in- 
trusion upon  it  to  be  regarded  as  foolhardy  in  the 
extreme. 

These  old  vassals  and  foresters  had  heard  from  their 
parents,  and  could  tell  from  their  own  experience, 
of  some  few  people  who,  actuated  by  curiosity,  had 
descended  into  this  valley,  but  had  never  returned. 
They  had,  indeed,  been  seen  wandering  about  below 
there,  and  had  even  approached  quite  near  the  wood- 
men at  work  on  the  surrounding  heights,  but  in  no 
instance  had  they  recrossed  the  exact  boundary  of  the 
valley,  and  to  questions  addressed  to  them  they  replied 
only  by  a  mournful  shake  of  the  head,  while  they 
pointed,  as  though  dumb,  to  their  lips. 

When  some  old  hunter,  in  the  mid-day  rest,  under 
one  of  the  spreading  oaks  that  crowned  the  hills  around, 
had  recounted  such  a  tale,  he  would  lead  his  youth- 
ful auditors  to  a  spot  where  the  forest  was  less  dense 
than  elsewhere,  and  bid  them  look  down.  And  when 
they  did  so,  they  saw,  to  their  astonishment,  a  stately 
castle,  whose  exterior  was  in  such  excellent  preservation 
that  one  might  believe  it  to  be  inhabited.  The  win- 
dows shone  in  the  sunlight,  the  drawbridges  were  down, 
the  walls  were  without  flaw  and  strongly  built,  and  even 
the  weathercocks  upon  the  turrets  looked  as  if  they  had 
lately  been  placed  there. 

But  a  dreary  quiet  reigned  within  these  walls  and  in 


148 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


the  surrounding  park.  The  water  in  the  lake  looked 
like  painted  water,  the  leaves  of  the  trees  did  not  rus- 
tle, and  none  of  the  birds  flying  around  uttered  a  single 
note. 

And  the  same  mysterious  silence  pervaded  the  whole 
valley.  The  deer  made  no  sound.  No  song  of  bird 
was  ever  heard  within  its  borders.  Everything  was 
quiet  and  still.  No  one  was  ever  seen  to  issue  from  the 
castle  to  connect  it  with  the  outside  world.  And  there- 
fore the  foresters  and  woodmen  from  the  neighbouring 
castles,  who  sometimes  passed  by  and  looked  down 
into  the  valley,  in  going  to  and  from  their  daily  avoca- 
tions, had  from  time  immemorial  given  it  the  name  of 
"  Castle  Silence." 

And  there  was  an  old  legend  among  the  people  re- 
garding both  castle  and  valley.  According  to  this 
story,  hundreds  of  years  ago  there  lived  here  a  powerful 
king,  who  had  a  wondrously  lovely  daughter.  But  the 
maiden  had  made  the  strangest  vow.  She  had  sworn 
never  to  marry  any  one  who  would  survive  her,  that  is, 
who  would  not  promise,  if  she  died  first,  to  be  buried 
alive  in  the  same  grave  with  her.  On  account  of  her 
vow,  which  was  well  known  in  all  the  country  around, 
no  one  dared  to  sue  for  the  hand  of  the  princess,  and 
with  deep  chagrin  she  saw  that  time  would  bring  wan- 
ing charms,  but  no  lover  enthusiastic  enough  to  fulfil 
the  condition  which  she  imposed  upon  her  husband. 

It  happened,  however,  that  the  son  of  a  neigh- 
bouring king  saw  her  one  day,  and  became  so  madly 
in  love  with  her  that  he  cared  for  nothing  in  the 
world  beside.  He  besought  her  hand  of  the  king, 
her  father,  who  answered  his  suit  with  "  Whoever  mar- 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


149 


ries  my  daughter  must  not  fear  being  buried  alive,"  and 
then  reminded  him  of  the  vow  that  the  princess  had 
made.  But  the  young  man's  love  was  so  strong  that  he 
despised  all  danger,  and  instantly  promised  all  that  was 
required  of  him.  So  the  marriage  was  celebrated  with 
great  pomp  and  magnificence. 

The  pair  lived  contented  and  happy  for  awhile 
together,  when  suddenly  the  princess  fell  ill, — so  ill 
that  no  skill  availed  to  cure  her,  and  she  died.  And 
when  she  lay  dead  the  young  prince  remembered  with 
horror  the  promise  that  he  had  given,  and  that  he  must 
actually  be  buried  alive.  The  old  king,  fearing  that 
his  son-in-law  might  try  to  escape  the  fulfilment  of  his 
promise,  placed  guards  about  the  gates  of  the  palace, 
and  declared  to  the  young  man  that  he  must  do  what 
he  had  sworn. 

When  the  day  came  upon  which  the  corpse  was  laid 
in  the  royal  tomb,  the  prince  also  descended  into  it, 
and  the  door  of  the  vault  was  locked  and  bolted.  Be- 
side the  coffin  was  placed  a  table,  and  upon  it  four 
loaves  of  bread  and  four  bottles  of  wine, — when  these 
were  consumed  the  wretched  prince  must  starve  to 
death.  There  he  sat  by  the  open  coffin,  plunged  in 
woe  and  horror,  eating  only  a  small  piece  of  bread  and 
drinking  only  a  mouthful  of  wine  daily,  pondering 
upon  his  fast  approaching  end. 

Sitting  thus,  it  happened  one  day  that  he  saw  a 
snake  creep  forth  out  of  a  corner  of  the  vault,  and 
glide  up  to  the  coffin.  Thinking  that  the  snake 
wished  to  injure  the  dead  princess,  he  drew  his  sword 
and  cut  the  reptile  into  four  pieces,  crying  out,  "As 

13* 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


long  as  I  live  thou  shalt  not  touch  her."  Aftei 
awhile  he  saw  a  second  snake  creep  from  the  corner, 
which,  seeing  the  other  lie  mangled  and  dead  upon 
the  ground,  crept  quickly  back  again,  and  brought 
out  three  silver  rings  in  its  mouth.  It  then  took  the 
four  pieces  of  the  dead  snake,  and,  fitting  them  to- 
gether as  in  life,  drew  over  each  wound  one  of  the 
rings.  Soon  the  mangled  snake  moved  again  and  came 
to  life,  when  they  both  glided  swiftly  away.  But  the 
hole  through  which  they  had  entered  was  scarcely  large 
enough  for  their  bodies, — in  returning,  the  resuscitated 
serpent  slipped  off  the  three  rings  and  left  them  lying 
upon  the  ground  behind  him. 

The  prince,  who  had  observed  all  this  with  the 
greatest  astonishment,  thought,  "What  wondrous  prop- 
erties must  these  rings  possess!  Why  can  they  not 
restore  a  human  being  to  life  as  well  as  a  snake?" 
He  picked  up  the  rings  and  laid  them,  one  upon 
the  mouth  and  one  upon  each  eye  of  his  dead  wife. 
Soon  the  blood  began  to  stir  within  her  and  mounted 
into  her  face,  flushing  her  pale  cheeks,  and  then,  to  the 
unbounded  joy  of  the  prince,  she  opened  her  eyes  and 
cried,  "Ah!  Heaven!  where  am  I?"  "With  me, 
dearest  wife,"  replied  the  enraptured  husband.  And 
then  he  gave  her  bread  and  wine  to  strengthen  her,  and 
told  her  what  had  happened,  and  how  he  had  restored 
her  to  life.  The  princess  arose,  and  the  prince  knocked 
so  loudly  at  the  door  of  the  vault  that  the  guards 
stationed  there  heard  him  and  went  and  told  the  king, 
who  came  himself  and  opened  the  door.  What  was  his 
surprise  and  joy  to  find  his  children  standing  there,  safe 
and  well !    He  conducted  them  forth  with  rejoicing 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


that  this  great  trial  had  been  so  happily  concluded. 
The  young  prince  strung  the  three  rings  carefully  upon 
a  riband  and  hung  them  around  his  own  neck. 

But  it  seemed  as  though  the  heart  of  the  princess, 
which  had  formerly  been  faithful  and  true,  had  become 
changed  and  corrupt  since  she  had  been  recalled  to  life 
by  means  of  the  serpent  rings,  for  after  a  short  time 
she  conceived  a  violent  passion  for  one  of  the  knights 
of  her  father's  court,  and  together  they  plotted  to 
deprive  the  young  prince  of  life.  With  this  aim  the 
princess  induced  her  husband  to  hunt  with  her  one 
day  in  the  darkest  and  loneliest  recesses  of  the 
forest,  when  she  left  him,  as  If  by  accident,  having 
stationed  assassins  in  his  path  who  were  to  fall  upon 
him  and  put  him  to  death.  But,  although  his  assailants 
were  numerous,  the  prince,  through  the  power  of  the 
rings,  was  endowed  with  such  wonderful  strength  that 
he  overcame  and  slew  them  all,  and  returned  to  his 
wife  unhurt.  And,  when  he  told  her  of  what  had  hap- 
pened to  him,  and  she  pretended  to  be  overjoyed  at 
his  escape  from  the  murderous  assaults  of  the  assassins, 
he  imprudently  confided  to  her  that  as  long  as  the 
rings  were  in  his  possession  no  harm  could  befall  him. 
The  wicked  woman  therefore,  when  the  old  king  was 
absent  from  home  one  day,  prepared  a  sleeping  draught 
for  her  husband,  and  invited  him  to  take  a  sail  with  her 
upon  the  deep  lake  spread  out  in  front  of  the  palace. 
Scarcely  were  the  prince  and  princess,  with  the  knight, 
her  lover,  seated  in  the  skiff,  when  the  prince  fell  into 
a  deep  sleep.  The  princess  then  took  a  pair  of  scissors 
and  cut  the  silken  riband  upon  which  the  rings  were 
strung,  that  she  might  take  them  from  her  husband's 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


neck.  But  her  hands  trembled  so  that  the  rings  slipped 
through  her  fingers  and  sank  into  the  deep  lake.  At 
the  same  moment  the  wicked  knight  fell  upon  the  un- 
fortunate prince  and  threw  him  from  the  boat  into  the 
water,  beneath  which  he  disappeared  and  was  seen  no 
more.  But  scarcely  was  the  ghastly  deed  accomplished 
when  all  the  bewildering  enchantment  seemed  to  fall 
away  from  the  princess,  —  she  loathed  herself  for  her 
wickedness,  and  threw  herself  upon  her  knees  in  utter 
despair.  And  when  she  returned  to  the  palace  she 
hastened  to  the  king,  her  father,  and  confessed  her 
crime.  And  the  old  king  said,  "If  thou  hast  done 
this,  there  is  no  hope  for  thee.  Thy  husband  would 
have  died  for  thee,  and  thou  hast  murdered  him  in 
his  sleep.  Thou  shalt  be  rewarded  according  to  thy 
deserts."  They  carried  her  out  upon  the  lake  and 
threw  her  into  it,  where  she  perished  miserably.  The 
old  king,  her  father,  died  of  grief  and  shame  at  the 
end  of  three  days.  But  before  he  died  he  cursed  the 
castle,  and  the  valley  in  which  it  stood,  because  of 
his  daughter's  crime,  and  placed  it  under  a  spell  so 
that  neither  content  nor  joy  should  again  abide  there 
until  the  spell  should  be  broken. 

Thus  ran  the  old  legend,  and  it  was  rumoured  beside 
that  in  the  middle  of  the  lake,  where  the  poor  prince 
disappeared,  a  plant  with  black  leaves  bordered  with 
blood-red  had  grown  up  from  the  water,  and  that  upon 
that  water  was  sometimes  to  be  seen  a  black  swan, 
under  which  form  the  princess  was  condemned  to  re- 
pent her  cruel  crime  until  the  spell  should  be  broken. 
But  how  this  was  to  be  done  no  one  knew. 

All  this  had  happened  long,  long  ago,  and  no  one 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


153 


seemed  to  know  very  well  whether  valley  and  Castle 
Silence  belonged  now  to  any  one.  No  one  troubled 
himself  about  it  any  longer,  and,  as  the  banks  of  the 
Neckar  were  but  thinly  peopled,  the  valley  was  almost 
forgotten.  The  roads  which  led  to  it  were  overgrown 
with  grass  and  underbrush,  and  huge  trees  grew  there 
whose  strong  branches,  interwoven,  formed  barriers, 
like  iron  gratings,  to  all  the  entrances  to  it. 

And  yet  a  certain  person  was  living  to  whom  Castle 
Silence  belonged  of  rightful  inheritance.  But  he  had 
never  troubled  himself  to  inquire  about  this  portion  of 
his  estate,  and,  even  when  he  did  so,  the  account 
which  he  received  did  not  tempt  him  to  visit  his  ne- 
glected possessions.  If  he  had  been  some  old  worn- 
out  lord  who  had  drunk  the  cup  of  life's  enjoyment  to 
the  very  dregs,  and  who,  weary  of  the  routine  of  a 
court,  longed  for  some  solitude  where  nothing  might 
remind  him  of  his  early  folly  and  frivolity,  he  might 
perhaps  have  visited  his  estate  here  and  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days  in  the  silent  valley.  But,  as  it 
happened,  the  lord  and  master  of  the  estate  was  a 
chivalrous  young  count,  who  lived  in  his  stronghold 
upon  the  Danube,  where  he  spent  day  after  day  in  all 
kinds  of  games  and  tourneys,  and  who  hated  nothing 
worse  than  solitude  and  silence.  In  his  gay  talk  with 
his  friends,  in  the  chase  or  amid  flowing  wine-cups,  the 
conversation  often  turned  upon  Castle  Silence,  and  the 
young  lords  did  not  fail  to  expend  their  wit  upon  so 
fruitful  a  topic.  But,  although  they  did  not  perhaps 
give  entire  credence  to  the  tales  concerning  the  Castle 
and  valley,  yet  in  those  days  so  much  faith  was  placed 
in  magic  and  enchantment  that  none  of  those  gay 


>54 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


young  fellows  would  venture  to  brave  such  a  horrible 
fate  as  silence  during  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

Count  Raymond,  as  the  lord  of  Castle  Silence  was 
called,  much  preferred,  when  once  he  felt  that  he 
needed  change  of  air,  to  ride  to  the  court  of  a  neigh- 
bouring king,  of  whom  'twas  said  that  not  only  did 
he  possess  three  wondrously  beautiful  daughters  to 
adorn  his  court,  but  also  that  it  was  a  rendezvous 
for  all  the  brave  and  noble  knights  in  the  world. 
So  Count  Raymond,  whose  father  had  left  him  heir  tc 
many  a  chest  of  broad  gold  pieces,  fitted  out  himself 
and  his  train  most  magnificently  for  the  journey. 
Every  one  was  gay  with  silk,  velvet,  and  gold, — you 
could  not  have  borne  to  look  at  the  count's  breast-plate 
when  the  sun  shone  upon  it,  such  dazzling  rays  shot 
from  the  gold  workmanship  upon  its  polished  steel  sur- 
face. The  bridles  of  the  horses  were  studded  with 
precious  stones,  the  stirrups  and  bits  were  of  gold, 
and  the  trumpets  of  the  heralds  who  surrounded  the 
standard-bearer  were  of  pure  silver. 

One  fine  morning  the  count  and  his  train  ap- 
proached the  royal  palace,  gazed  at  and  admired  by 
all  the  lords  and  nobles  assembled  there,  who  were 
many  in  number  and  brilliant  in  array,  for  the  king 
was  celebrating  the  marriage  of  his  two  elder  daughters 
to  two  neighbouring  princes,  and  had  instituted  a 
variety  of  unrivalled  entertainments  upon  the  occasion. 

When  Count  Raymond  entered  the  royal  hall  the 
king  was  seated  upon  his  throne,  surrounded  b>  the 
entire  splendour  of  his  court,  to  receive  his  guests.  On 
either  side  of  him  sat  his  two  elder  daughters,  and, 
somewhat  in  the  background,  the  youngest,  who  in  her 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


i5S 


maidenly  reserve  shunned  the  admiring  gaze  of  the 
knights  present. 

That  this  young  princess  was  still  unmarried  was  not 
owing  to  a  scarcity  of  wooers,  for  the  throng  of  her 
lovers  was  great,  and  in  truth  a  lovelier  and  more  at- 
tractive vision  could  scarcely  have  been  imagined. 
The  heart  and  mind  of  the  maiden  perfectly  accorded 
with  her  exterior,  and  her  virtues  and  good  qualities 
charmed  all  around  her.  Wherever  she  appeared,  all 
contention  ceased.  The  hands  of  the  rough  knights, 
which,  in  the  heat  of  some  sudden  quarrel,  were  laid 
upon  the  hilts  of  their  swords,  unclosed  and  were 
placed  tenderly  upon  their  beating  hearts,  at  sight  of 
the  princess.  Every  face  brightened  and  all  shade  of 
sullenness  vanished  like  dark  storm-clouds  when  the 
sun's  rays  shine  forth.  Therefore  this  princess  was 
dearer  to  her  father  than  all  else  in  the  world  beside, 
and  he  was  glad  to  find  a  reason  in  the  multitude  of 
her  wooers  for  keeping  his  daughter  to  himself, — for  he 
declared  that  he  could  not  offend  so  many,  as  he 
should,  by  resigning  her  to  one.  And  in  truth  the 
loss  of  this  daughter  would  have  been  irreparable,  for 
no  one  could  cheer  him  in  his  gloomy  moments  as  she 
could  with  her  winning  smile  alone.  The  royal  at- 
tendants maintained  that  her  lovely  smile  and  the 
gentle  words  that  accompanied  it  affected  the  king  even 
in  his  sleep,  and  chased  away  the  painful  dreams  to 
which  his  majesty  was  subject  during  his  noonday  nap, 
for  when  he  was  tossing  feverishly  upon  his  silken  couch 
the  princess  would  bend  over  him  and,  pressing  a  soft 
kiss  upon  his  brow,  whisper  to  him  gently,  and  the 
troubled  expression  caused  by  his  dreams  would  pass 


156 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


away  from  his  countenance  and  he  would  sink  into  a 
peaceful  slumber. 

But  we  must  return  to  the  audience-hall,  where  the 
heralds  sounded  their  silver  trumpets  in  stately  flourishes 
every  time  that  the  master  of  ceremonies  announced  a 
new  title,  whose  possessor,  in  rich  and  shining  array, 
made  a  low  obeisance  as  he  passed  by  the  throne  to  be 
lost  in  the  crowd  surrounding  the  king  and  princesses, 
to  whom,  and  especially  to  the  youngest,  these  pre- 
sentations seemed  very  tedious.  She  saw  a  hundred 
knights  enter  the  hall,  without  paying  any  attention  ex- 
cept to  observe  whether  the  colours  of  the  apparel  of 
one  were  well  chosen,  or  to  remember  what  a  fall  an- 
other had  had  upon  the  sand  at  the  last  tourney.  She 
regarded  them  all  with  the  same  kindliness,  and  did 
not  appear  even  to  observe  the  fiery  glances  cast  upon 
her  by  the  rich  dukes  and  princes  from  the  neighbour- 
hood. She  certainly  gazed  with  as  unembarrassed  an 
air  at  each  young  knight  who  had  donned  his  gayest 
doublet  in  her  honour  as  upon  any  old  lord  whose 
long  gray  beard  she  had  played  with  while  yet  a  child 
in  the  nurse's  arms. 

But  now  the  trumpets  and  bugles  sounded  anew,  and 
strange  colours  appeared  at  the  entrance  to  the  hall.  It 
was  Count  Raymond,  with  his  retinue.  Brilliant  as  the 
day,  tall  and  graceful  as  the  young  fir  on  the  mountain, 
he  strode  up  the  hall,  attracting  the  gaze  of  all.  He 
bent  his  knee  before  the  king,  and  begged  permission 
to  break  a  lance  in  honour  of  the  newly  married 
couples,  at  the  approaching  tourney  and  the  riding  at 
the  ring.  The  king  welcomed  him  most  graciously, 
and  the  count,  as  he  rose  from  his  knee,  proudly  con- 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


scious  of  his  arm  of  steel,  looked  keenly  tnrough  the 
knightly  circle  in  search  of  some  powerful  form  upon 
which  to  prove  his  prowess.  But,  although  he  began 
this  search  with  a  bold  and  somewhat  defiant  air,  his 
gaze  had  travelled  but  half  around  the  circle  sur- 
rounding the  king,  when  his  glance  lost  its  steadfast- 
ness and  his  commanding  features  wore  an  expression 
of  the  deepest  submission.  He  had  seen  the  princess, 
who  in  her  turn  gazed  upon  him  with  admiring  surprise, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  her  life  returned  the  greeting 
of  a  man  with  embarrassment  and  a  faint  blush.  It  was 
a  great  moment  for  both,  and  if  the  lady  in  waiting 
had  not  been  quite  as  inexperienced  as  her  mistress, 
she  would  have  known  well  enough  why,  when  the 
latter  sought  her  apartments,  at  the  close  of  the 
audience,  she  was  so  preoccupied  in  mind  and  replied 
so  at  random  to  the  simplest  questions. 

The  poor  count  was  in  a  still  worse  condition. 
The  light  that  he  had  seen  in  the  beautiful  eyes  of  the 
princess  had  changed  his  whole  manner  of  thought  and 
feeling.  He  awakened  as  from  a  long  dream, — the 
shining  sun  just  arisen  in  his  heart  seemed  to  banish 
the  mists  which  had  hitherto  veiled  all  his  aims  and 
pursuits  in  life.  He  thought  with  sorrow  and  shame 
of  the  many  precious  hours  that  he  had  wasted  in  the 
chase  or  among  roystering  companions.  His  arms  and 
his  steed  were  now  valued  by  him  only  because  he  hoped 
through  them  to  win  greater  honour  than  ever  before, 
and  by  the  conquest  of  every  opponent  to  attract  the 
notice  of  the  princess.  And  success  crowned  his 
efforts.  His  love  nerved  his  already  powerful  arm,  and 
there  was  no  tourney  held  at  the  royal  court  in  which 

14 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


Count  Raymond  did  not  win  the  prize  of  victory. 
Almost  every  knight  engaged  could  bear  witness  to  the 
strength  of  his  arm,  for  in  these  mimic  fights  a  noble 
rage  took  possession  of  him,  and  all  whom  his  spear 
touched  were  hurled  to  the  ground.  If  the  festivities 
had  lasted  many  days  longer  the  palace  would  have 
been  a  perfect  hospital,  and  few  knights  would  have 
been  in  a  condition  to  join  the  torch-dance  on  the  last 
day. 

But,  in  spite  of  all  these  heroic  deeds,  Count  Raymond 
had  never  been  so  utterly  vanquished  as  now.  The 
fetters  which  bound  him  were  strong  indeed,  and  wrung 
from  him  many  a  bitter  sigh.  Ah !  it  was  only  in  the 
tourney  that  our  brave  count  was  a  hero.  When  he  re- 
turned to  his  apartment  and  took  off  his  heavy  armour, 
he  sank  down  upon  his  couch,  sighing  and  sending 
many  a  longing  glance  to  the  opposite  windows  of  the 
royal  castle,  behind  which  was  his  life,  his  sun.  And 
the  princess,  too,  gazed  far  oftener  from  her  windows 
than  had  been  her  wont,  and  for  a  long  time  her  at- 
tendants could  not  understand  what  their  mistress 
found  so  attractive  in  the  old  walls  opposite  these  win- 
dows. She  was  strangely  altered,  too,  and  no  longer 
looked  upon  all  around  her  with  her  former  unembar- 
rassed air,  but  sat  sometimes  for  a  long  while  with  her 
eyes  cast  down,  buried  in  thought,  blushing  when  Count 
Raymond  entered  the  room  where  she  was,  and  growing 
pale  when  he  was  spoken  of, — in  short,  the  princess 
was  in  love. 

At  first  the  pair  had  no  one  to  whom  they  could  con- 
fide their  woes.  This  penalty  all  high  in  rank  must 
pay.  Even  when,  in  some  lonely  hour,  the  count  inter- 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


>59 


preted  to  his  advantage  a  look,  a  smile,  of  the  prin- 
cess, the  next  would  overthrow  all  his  air-castles, — he 
could  not  believe  in  the  happiness  of  being  beloved 
by  her, — he  was  the  most  wretched  of  mortals.  And 
although  in  one  way  the  princess  was  happier  than  he, 
— for  she  could  not  fail  to  see  in  Raymond's  air  and 
manner  what  he  felt  for  her, — yet  she  was  unhappier  in 
another  way,  for  she  had  to  keep  the  strictest  watch 
over  every  word  and  action,  lest  in  some  unguarded 
moment  she  should  betray  the  state  of  her  loving  heart 
to  her  father  and  sisters,  or  to  the  count  himself. 

Raymond,  however,  had  one  confidential  friend  at 
the  court, — a  true  and  faithful  knight,  who  had  made 
several  pilgrimages  to  the  Holy  Land.  To  him  one  fine 
morning  the  count  told  the  whole  story  of  his  love. 
At  first  his  friend  was  startled  at  the  thought  of  his 
temerity  in  raising  his  eyes  to  the  king's  daughter,  but, 
as  he  knew  how  unruly  and  unbidden  a  guest  is  love,  he 
promised  the  count  all  the  aid  in  his  power,  and  soon 
found  means  to  discover  that  the  princess  had  enshrined 
his  friend's  image  in  her  heart  of  hearts.  This  knowl- 
edge, in  the  possession  of  which  Count  Raymond  was  at 
first  almost  beside  himself,  removed  many  an  obstacle  to 
the  meeting  of  the  lovers,  and  in  a  short  time  they  saw 
each  other,  freed  from  the  presence  of  the  whole  court. 
The  count  threw  himself  at  the  princess's  feet  and  swore 
that  he  could  not  live  without  her,  and  amid  sighs  and 
tears  she  gave  him  her  hand,  and  in  secret  accepted 
him  for  her  own  true  knight.  And  yet  not  much  was 
gained  by  all  this,  for,  although  in  moments  of  vision- 
ary and  enthusiastic  hope  the  count  dreamed  that  some 
day  the  king  would  consent  to  his  marriage  with  his 


i6o 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


youngest  and  best-loved  daughter,  cooler  consideration 
told  him  how  vain  were  such  dreams,  and  the  two 
lovers  admitted  to  each  other  that  they  stood  on  the 
brink  of  a  yawning  abyss  which  neither  could  devise 
means  to  fill  up  or  bridge  across. 

And  so  indeed  they  stood.  No  sooner  did  the  king 
hear,  from  those  busy  tongues  belonging  to  the  prying 
eyes  and  ears  found  at  every  court,  that  an  under- 
standing of  some  sort  existed  between  his  daughter 
and  Count  Raymond,  than  he  became  very  angry, 
and  sent  for  the  princess  to  talk  with  her  alone.  He 
found  that  the  case  was  much  worse  than  he  had 
feared,  and  that  his  daughter  was  actually  wavering 
between  love  for  her  father  and  the  faith  she  had 
plighted  to  the  count.  As  a  union  of  the  lovers  was 
the  last  thing  thought  of  by  the  king  in  his  surprise, 
he  merely  observed  to  the  count,  in  an  interview  that 
he  immediately  had  with  him,  that  his  distant  estates 
must  be  suffering  from  the  prolonged  absence  of  their 
lord,  and  Raymond,  perfectly  understanding  this  hint, 
and  shocked  and  heart-broken,  sorrowfully  took  his 
leave,  recommending  himself  to  the  future  grace  of  the 
king. 

One  can  easily  imagine  the  emotions  with  which  the 
count  returned  to  his  apartments  after  this  interview, 
and  informed  his  friend  of  the  death-blow  that  had 
been  given  to  his  hopes.  His  pride  would  not  allow 
him  to  stay  one  day  longer  at  court,  and  the  worst  was 
that  he  had  no  opportunity  of  again  seeing  the  princess 
alone.  He  left  for  her  his  farewell  and  a  renewal  of 
his  vows  of  constancy  with  his  faithful  friend,  and  only 
by  the  colours  of  his  dress  and  scarf  could  he  express 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


his  feelings  to  his  beloved,  as  she  gazed  after  him  from 
her  windows. 

So  the  next  morning  he  departed,  the  bugles  of  his 
heralds  mournfully  sounding  the  air:  "There's  rest  in 
the  grave,"  and  the  handsome  count,  who  had  arrived 
at  court  in  such  brilliant  array,  was  now  clad  in  coal- 
black  armour,  with  a  sky-blue  scarf  bound  across  his 
breast  in  token  of  unswerving  constancy. 

How  much  his  thoughts — yes,  even  his  very  heart 
had  changed  since  he  left  his  gay  castle  on  the  Danube ! 
Sad  as  his  present  existence  was,  it  seemed  infinitely 
preferable  to  him  to  the  shallow  and  empty  life  he  had 
formerly  passed  in  the  midst  of  his  gay,  riotous  com- 
panions. The  image  enshrined  in  his  breast,  although 
veiled  in  mourning,  was  yet  illumined  by  a  faint  hope, 
and  occupied  his  thoughts  so  entirely  and  so  deliciously 
that  it  left  no  room  for  anything  else.  When  he  had 
returned  from  former  expeditions  he  had  thought  with 
pleasure  of  his  stately  castle,  and  had  rejoiced  in  the 
prospect  of  again  seeing  his  men  and  horses — and  even 
his  faithful  dogs;  but  now  he  felt  a  distaste  for  all 
these  things  and  for  the  boisterous  welcome  of  his 
friends,  and  would  far  rather  have  been  left  to  pursue 
his  reveries  undisturbed.  Whilst,  buried  in  these 
thoughts,  he  pursued  his  way  with  his  head  sunk 
on  his  breast  and  his  horse's  bridle  hanging  loosely, 
his  mind  suddenly  recurred  to  his  desolate,  lonely 
estate, — Castle  Silence.  He  recalled  all  the  stories  that 
he  had  heard  concerning  the  castle  and  the  sur- 
rounding valley  in  its  quiet  beauty,  and  decided  that 
there  could  be  no  more  fitting  retreat  for  him  in  his 
present  melancholy  condition.  He  immediately  turned 
14* 


l62 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


his  horse's  head  thitherward,  and,  followed  by  his  won- 
dering train,  who  could  not  imagine  why  their  master 
should  thus  lead  them  towards  an  unknown  part  of  the 
country,  arrived,  at  the  end  of  three  days,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Neckar,  where  he  communicated  his  reso- 
lution to  his  followers. 

At  first  the  startled  train  attempted  to  dissuade  their 
lord  from  rashly  entering  that  accursed  valley,  the  tale 
of  whose  lonely  horrors  had  been  handed  down  from 
father  to  son  for  so  many  generations.  But  when  the 
count  held  fast  to  his  intention,  and  gave  all  those  who 
did  not  wish  to  follow  him  free  permission  to  leave  him 
and  go  home,  not  one  of  all  the  retinue  was  willing  to 
desert  his  master,  but  vowed  to  follow  him  to  the  death, 
if  he  desired  it. 

After  the  troop  had  rested  for  awhile  on  the  banks 
of  the  Neckar,  the  count  dispatched  one  of  his  squires 
to  a  watch-tower  not  very  far  distant,  in  search  of  some 
one  who  could  guide  them  to  the  valley  and  Castle  Si- 
lence. At  first  the  inmates  of  the  tower  crossed  them- 
selves when  they  heard  the  squire's  request,  but  when 
they  learned  that  he  was  sent  by  the  rightful  lord  of 
Castle  Silence,  they  gave  him  one  of  their  men,  who 
rode  on  in  front  of  the  count.  Soon  the  bold  train  saw 
before  them  a  chain  of  mountains,  which  their  guide 
said  were  the  heights  surrounding  the  silent  valley. 
Then,  giving  them  instructions  as  to  the  direction  in 
which  they  could  find  an  entrance  to  it,  he  took  leave 
of  the  count  and  galloped  away  towards  his  home  in 
great  haste. 

Count  Raymond,  who  was  far  too  deeply  occupied 
with  thoughts  of  his  distant  lady-love  to  think  of  any 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


163 


dangerous  adventures  that  might  await  him  behind 
those  mountains,  quietly  ascended  the  heights.  His 
train  followed  him,  it  is  true,  but  one  could  see  by  the 
movements  that  were  made  here  and  there  that  the 
repose  that  filled  the  breast  of  their  lord  was  far  from 
the  minds  of  his  retinue.  One  fastened  his  steel  cap 
tighter  under  his  chin,  another  loosened  his  sword  in 
its  sheath,  while  a  third  sat  more  erect  in  his  saddle  and 
seized  his  halberd  with  a  firmer  grasp.  Thus  they 
reached  the  summit  of  the  mountain  barrier,  and  saw 
before  them  an  arched  pathway  which  led  down  into 
the  valley,  but  which  presented  a  most  neglected  ap- 
pearance. The  oaks  and  beeches  which  grew  on  either 
side  of  it  had  so  interlaced  their  branches  that  the 
count  wondered  at  first  whether  he  should  be  able  to 
penetrate  them  on  horseback.  But  as  soon  as  he  made 
the  attempt  the  branches  seemed  to  part  of  themselves, 
leaving  the  pathway  clear,  so  that  his  train  followed 
him  through  it  easily. 

They  rode  on  silently — down,  down — until,  leaving 
the  forest  that  covered  the  mountains,  they  stepped  out 
upon  a  fresh,  green  meadow,  intersected  by  clear, 
sparkling  brooks,  and  saw  before  them  a  stately  castle. 
Fear  lest  they  should  encounter  some  strange  horror,  as 
well  as  the  mysterious  silence  that  pervaded  the  whole 
valley,  had  hitherto  tied  the  tongues  of  the  men, — not 
one  had  dared  to  open  his  lips.  But  now,  when  they 
saw  before  them  the  massive  walls  of  a  castle,  courage 
returned,  and  the  trumpeters  put  their  instruments  to 
their  lips  to  announce  their  coming  by  a  joyous  blast. 
But,  oh,  horror!  although  they  were  masters  of  their 
art,  and  exerted  all  their  force,  they  could  not  bring 


164 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


forth  a  single  note.  Again  they  put  forth  their  strength, 
puffing  out  their  cheeks  until  they  grew  blue  in  the 
face,  but  all  in  vain, — no  sound  broke  upon  the  hor- 
rible silence  around.  In  terrified  amazement  each 
turned  to  his  neighbour  to  express  his  wonder,  but  a 
new  dread  fell  upon  all,  for  no  one  could  utter  a  word, 
— all  were  dumb  ! 

Count  Raymond,  who  was  riding  some  distance 
ahead,  turned  his  horse,  that  he  might  survey  the  lovely 
landscape,  when  he  became  aware  of  the  confusion  and 
terror  of  his  train.  In  attempting  to  inquire  the  cause, 
he  learned  it  without  receiving  any  answer,  for  his  lips 
refused  to  utter  a  sound.  Not  much  enlivened  by  this 
discovery,  he  looked  back  and  saw  how  the  last  of  his 
attendants,  hoping  to  escape  from  the  valley,  attempted 
in  vain  to  retrace  his  steps, — the  interlaced  boughs, 
which  had  afforded  so  free  an  ingress,  now  grew  to- 
gether more  thickly  and  obstinately  than  ever,  making 
a  passage  through  them  impossible,  and  cutting  off  all 
hope  of  retreat. 

Thus  imprisoned,  the  count,  with  a  shake  of  the  head, 
rode  towards  the  castle,  and,  followed  by  the  horror- 
struck  train,  through  the  high,  arched  gateway  into  the 
court-yard.  Here  everything  was  arranged  in  the  best 
possible  manner  and  in  perfect  order;  and,  although 
the  attendants  and  squires  looked  timidly  round,  ex- 
pecting some  new  and  alarming  adventure,  everything 
was  so  natural  and  well  ordered  that,  after  a  short  de- 
liberation, they  unsaddled  their  horses  and  led  them  to 
the  spacious  stables. 

The  count,  followed  by  his  equerry,  ascended  the 
wide  staircase,  and  passing  through  a  long  hall,  adorned 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


165 


with  a  collection  of  huge  antlers,  came  to  a  suite  of 
rooms  furnished  gorgeously,  although  in  rather  anti- 
quated style.  In  one  of  these,  the  windows  of  which 
looked  out  upon  an  extensive  but  neglected  park,  the 
count  took  orT  his  armour,  choosing  this  place  for  his  bed- 
room. His  attendants  explored  the  lower  stories  of  the 
castle,  and  became  quite  contented  and  easy  in  their 
minds  when  they  found  everything  so  habitable  and 
convenient,  especially  as  they  discovered  a  well-filled 
pantry,  adjoining  a  spacious  kitchen,  stocked  with  al] 
kinds  of  cooking-utensils,  although  these  last  were  an- 
tiquated enough  in  form  and  fashion.  Their  satisfac- 
tion, however,  increased  greatly  when  they  came  to 
an  open  cellar-door,  through  which,  down  a  flight 
of  stone  steps,  they  entered  a  spacious  vault,  where, 
in  symmetrical  rows,  a  number  of  large  and  small  wine 
casks  were  arranged. 

As  the  whole  retinue  was  thus  destitute  of  no- 
thing in  Castle  Silence  to  make  life  comfortable,  ex- 
cept the  power  of  speech,  they  soon  reconciled  them- 
selves to  circumstances,  and  in  a  short  time  learned  to 
express  their  thoughts  and  wishes  as  perfectly  by  pan- 
tomime as  though  they  had  been  accustomed  to  this 
mode  of  intercourse  from  earliest  youth.  And  the 
count,  too,  soon  felt  at  home  in  his  quiet  place  of 
exile.  For  no  blast  of  hunting-horn,  no  shout  of 
vassals  or  baying  of  hounds,  disturbed  his  thoughts  of 
his  distant  lady-love,  who  occupied  his  mind  entirely. 
He  laid  aside  his  arms,  and,  with  his  followers,  busied 
himself  in  the  castle  park,  which,  under  his  care,  soon 
became  a  perfect  scene  of  delight.  It  seemed  as  though 
the  spell  under  which  castle  and  valley  had  so  long 


i66 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


lain  had  produced  an  excellent  effect  upon  all  trees  and 
plants  growing  there,  for  with  very  little  trouble  the 
most  beautiful  results  ensued  and  the  rarest  flowers 
flourished.  The  castle,  with  its  park  and  terraces, 
looked  in  a  short  time  like  a  luxuriant  parterre,  and 
was  so  lovely  that  the  count  longed  for  nothing,  save 
the  original  of  the  image  that  filled  his  breast.  His 
great  grief  was  that  he  could  not  obtain  the  slightest 
news  of  his  beloved  one.  He  had  often  attempted  to 
send  one  of  his  confidential  servants  to  the  court  of 
the  king  for  tidings  of  her,  but  the  evil  spell  upon  the 
valley  forbade  all  egress  from  its  precincts,  and  his 
messenger  was  always  obliged  to  return  to  the  castle 
entirely  unsuccessful. 

One  day  our  count  was  sitting  in  the  park  among 
his  flowers,  communing  with  them  as  with  his  dis- 
tant love.  The  snowy  velvet  petal  of  the  lily  re- 
minded him  of  her  fair  brow ;  the  modest  violet  looked 
lovingly  at  him  from  its  depths  of  blue,  as  her  dear  eyes 
had  done  in  former  happy  hours ;  and  when  the  sweet 
breath  of  the  opening  rose  was  wafted  towards  him,  he 
seemed  to  perceive  in  the  perfumed  air  a  soft,  wistful 
whisper  that  came  like  a  greeting  to  him  from  his  idol. 
Thus  he  sat,  buried  in  dreamy  reveries,  when  one  of  the 
snow-white  doves,  which  he  had  often  noticed  flying 
around  the  castle,  perched  upon  his  shoulder  and  laid  its 
head  against  his  cheek.  He  stroked  the  pretty  creature 
caressingly,  when  suddenly  he  perceived  around  its 
neck  a  little  golden  ring.  With  trembling  hands  he 
examined  it  closely,  almost  expecting  that  Noah's  mes- 
senger had  brought  him  also  a  leaf  of  hope.  But  he 
found  nothing  except  a  little  hook  attached  to  the  ring. 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


167 


to  which  a  letter  might  be  suspended,  and  by  which, 
the  instant  he  discovered  it,  he  resolved  to  make  one 
more  attempt,  to  assure  his  beloved  one  of  his  unalter- 
able constancy.  This  project  he  carried  out  upon  the 
spot.  He  wrote  a  few  lines  to  the  princess,  telling 
her  of  his  present  stay  in  Castle  Silence,  and  bewailing 
his  fate  in  being  separated  from  her  perhaps  forever. 
This  note  he  attached  to  the  hook  which  hung  from 
the  ring  around  the  dove's  neck,  and  let  the  pretty 
creature  fly.  It  rose  into  the  air  immediately,  soared 
higher  and  higher,  and,  to  the  unspeakable  delight  of 
the  count,  had  soon  passed  the  boundaries  of  the 
Silent  Valley  and  was  lost  in  the  distance. 

In  the  mean  time  much  had  gone  wrong  at  the  king's 
court  after  the  departure  of  Count  Raymond,  and  the 
king,  who  had  fully  expected  that  as  soon  as  the  count 
was  no  longer  present  his  daughter  would  forget  him, 
found,  to  his  chagrin,  that  he  had  been  mistaken. 
From  the  day  when  the  count's  heralds  had  played  that 
mournful  air,  "There's  rest  in  the  grave,"  the  princess, 
poor,  sweet  lady,  had  seemed  to  think  of  little  else, 
and  had  taken  no  delight  in  the  gay  revels  going  on 
around  her.  Her  bright  eyes  grew  dim,  her  gaiety 
vanished,  and  not  only  could  she  no  longer  enliven  her 
father's  melancholy  in  his  gloomy  moments,  but  he  in 
his  turn  was  obliged  to  undertake  the  part  of  comforter, 
and  attempt  to  dissipate  his  daughter's  ever-increasing 
sadness,  which  he  did  by  suggesting  all  reasonable 
topics  of  consolation, — taking  very  good  care,  how- 
ever, not  to  allude  to  the  only  thing  that  engrossed  her 
mind  entirely.  But  his  fatherly  affection  could  not 
long  endure  to  contemplate  the  sufferings  of  his  darling 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


child.  And  besides,  the  count's  good  friend,  who  stood 
high  in  the  king's  favour,  used  every  means  in  his 
power  to  impress  his  master  with  a  favourable  view  of 
the  count's  aspirations,  so  that  at  last  the  monarch's 
heart  was  softened,  and  he  seemed  inclined  to  grant 
the  count  his  daughter's  hand. 

This  good  news  was  dispatched  to  the  count  by  six 
couriers,  who  started  off,  one  after  another,  with  letters 
from  the  princess,  each,  after  the  first,  a  postscript  to 
its  predecessor.  But  the  couriers  all  returned,  after  a 
few  days,  and  announced  that  the  count  had  never 
been  at  his  castle  on  the  Danube,  and  had  sent  no 
tidings  as  to  whither  he  had  gone.  Then  the  princess 
mourned  indeed,  and  the  good  king,  moved  by  his 
daughter's  tears,  and  fearing  that  the  count  had  either 
committed  suicide  or  joined  a  crusade  against  the 
infidels,  reproached  himself  bitterly  for  his  former 
hard-heartedness. 

Who  knows  whether  the  princess,  in  her  despair, 
might  not  have  entered  a  convent  and  taken  the  veil, 
if,  just  at  the  right  time,  while  she  was  sitting  in  her 
balcony,  shedding  sorrowing  tears  for  her  lost  lover, 
the  dove  had  not  arrived  from  Castle  Silence  with  the 
note  announcing  the  count's  place  of  exile  and  telling 
her  of  the  enchantment  that  held  him  captive?  Al- 
though the  princess  was  rejoiced,  and  even  the  king 
himself,  at  this  news,  yet  the  latter  was  keenly  alive  to 
the  mortifying  circumstance  that  the  count  could  not 
present  himself  at  court,  and  to  avoid  any  breach  of 
etiquette  he  determined  to  visit  Castle  Silence  in  per- 
son, and  to  have  the  marriage  celebrated  there. 

The  count's  friend  set  out  the  same  day  for  the 


CASTLE  SILENCE, 


169 


banks  of  the  Neckar,  to  announce  to  Raymond  this 
happy  change  in  his  prospects.  A  few  days  afterward 
the  king  and  his  whole  court  followed  him,  with  great 
pomp  and  splendour.  The  princess  rode  upon  a  white 
palfrey,  and  had  entirely  recovered  her  good  spirits 
and  gay  humour.  Her  smile  again  shed  its  light  upon 
all,  and  there  was  no  end  to  her  delight.  Thus  they 
travelled  on,  and  at  evening  gorgeous  tents  were  raised 
under  which  the  whole  court  encamped  to  pass  the 
night.  But  the  moon  was  so  bright,  and  the  princess 
was  in  a  state  of  such  joyous  excitement,  that  she  could 
not  sleep.  She  stepped  outside  of  her  tent  and  sat 
down,  that  she  might  send  her  thoughts  on  before  to 
where  her  heart's  treasure  was.  She  had  not  sat  long 
when  she  heard  a  rushing  noise  just  above  her,  and. 
looking  up,  she  saw  a  mighty  eagle  wheeling  in  huge 
circles  above  her  head.  At  first  she  observed  the  flight 
of  the  bird  with  pleasure,  but  as  he  descended  lower 
and  lower  she  grew  frightened  and  attempted  to  rise 
and  return  to  her  tent.  Suddenly  the  eagle  came  so 
close  to  her,  encircling  her  head  in  his  wheeling  flights, 
that  the  poor  princess  could  not  stir  from  the  spot.  In 
amazement  she  looked  at  the  bird,  and  was  not  a  little 
astonished  when  he  bent  his  head  respectfully,  and  ad- 
dressed her.  " Fairest  princess,"  he  said,  "forgive  me 
for  frightening  you ;  but,  while  high  in  the  air,  I  saw  how 
brilliantly  the  crown  that  you  wear  upon  your  lovely 
head  glittered  in  the  moonlight,  and  I  was  seized  with 
an  unconquerable  desire  to  beg  it  of  you  for  my  wife, 
the  Lady  Eagle.  I  know  your  good  heart,  and  shall  be 
grateful  indeed  to  you  if  you  grant  my  request." 
When  the  princess  heard  the  bird  speak  thus  ration- 
15 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


ally,  she  lost  all  fear,  although  she  could  not  help 
smiling  to  herself  at  the  eagle's  vanity  in  wishing  to 
adorn  his  wife  with  a  crown.  However,  she  took  it  off 
her  head  and  handed  it  to  the  bird,  who  received  it 
in  his  claws,  thanked  her  in  the  most  polite  manner, 
and,  rising  from  the  ground,  was  soon  lost  to  sight  in 
the  clouds.  The  princess  gazed  after  him  for  awhile, 
and  then  rose  from  her  seat  to  enter  her  tent,  when  she 
observed  something  shining  upon  the  ground  before 
her.  She  examined  it  more  closely,  and  it  proved  to 
be  one  of  the  eagle's  glossy,  black  feathers.  She  picked 
it  up  and  took  it  with  her  into  her  tent. 

The  following  day  the  court  proceeded  upon  its 
journey,  and  at  evening  encamped  under  their  tents 
upon  a  spacious  plain.  The  princess,  remembering  the 
last  night's  adventure,  seated  herself  again  in  the  moon- 
light, and  thought  in  her  kind  heart  of  the  Lady  Eagle's 
delight  in  receiving  the  jewelled  crown,  when,  by 
chance,  looking  upwards,  she  saw,  to  her  amazement, 
the  eagle  again  in  the  air  above  her  head,  slowly  de- 
scending towards  her.  Down  he  came,  and  made  his 
obeisance  before  the  princess ;  but  this  time  there  was 
a  sorrowful  expression  in  his  eyes,  as  he  said,  "Ah! 
most  gracious  princess,  you  will  repent  your  kindness 
to  me,  for  I  have  come  again  to  request  something  of 
you.  My  Lady  Eagle  found  your  crown  so  entirely  to 
her  taste  that  she  has  entreated  me  to  beg  you  for  your 
necklace,  which  matches  it  exactly.  I  know  your  kind 
heart,  and  shall  be  grateful  indeed  to  you  if  you  grant 
my  request." 

The  princess,  who  could  not  help  smiling  again  at 
the  Lady  Eagle's  vanity,  could  not  find  it  in  her  heart 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


to  refuse  the  bird's  request,  so  she  took  off  her  neck- 
lace and  gave  it  to  the  eagle,  who  soon  vanished 
with  it  in  the  air,  leaving  behind  him  another  feather, 
which  the  princess  picked  up  and  laid  aside  with  the 
first. 

The  next  day  brought  them  to  their  journey's  end. 
They  reached  the  bright,  sparkling  Neckar,  and  en- 
camped at  night  where  they  saw  before  them  the  heights 
surrounding  the  valley  and  Castle  Silence.  Here, 
in  full  view  of  the  place  where  her  future  husband  was, 
the  princess  found  it  impossible  to  remain  in  her  tent, 
but  wandered  forth  to  send  a  loving  greeting  towards 
the  valley  that  nestled  behind  the  hills.  If  she  thought 
at  all  of  the  previous  visits  of  the  eagle,  she  never 
dreamed  that  he  would  return  to  beg  for  anything 
more.  And  yet,  so  it  was.  Scarcely  had  she  looked 
at  the  full  moon,  when  she  heard  the  familiar  sound 
above  her  head,  and  the  eagle  alighted  upon  the 
ground  before  her,  but  looking  very  anxious  and  un- 
happy. "Ah!  kindest  of  princesses,"  said  he,  "you 
must  think  me  importunate  indeed,  but  my  Lady 
Eagle  has  teased  me  until  I  have  promised  to  beg  for 
your  bracelet,  that  her  set  of  ornaments  may  be  com- 
plete. Had  I  not  known  your  kindness  of  heart,  I 
should  not  have  dared  to  prefer  this  last  request ;  but 
be  sure,  if  you  grant  it,  my  gratitude  to  you  will  be  un- 
bounded." 

The  good  princess  could  not  help  now  laughing  aloud 
at  the  Lady  Eagle's  vanity,  but  she  took  off  her  bracelet 
and  handed  it  to  the  bird,  who  was  profuse  in  his 
polite  thanks,  and  flew  joyfully  up  to  the  heavens, 
leaving  behind  him  a  third  feather,  which  the  princess 


172 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


picked  up  and  laid  aside  with  the  other  two.  Then  she 
went  to  her  tent  and  slept  in  peace,  dreaming  of  the 
bliss  that  awaited  her  on  the  morrow,  when  she  should 
again  see  Count  Raymond. 

The  count  had  been  greatly  surprised  by  his  friend's 
arrival,  and  no  less  delighted  by  the  good  news  which 
he  brought.  But,  as  the  honest  knight  fared  no  better 
upon  his  entrance  into  the  valley  than  had  the  count 
and  his  train — becoming  on  the  instant  as  dumb  as  a 
fish  —  the  two  friends  had  at  first  great  difficulty  in 
making  themselves  intelligible  to  each  other,  for  the 
odd  pantomime  in  use  at  the  castle  was  entirely  strange 
to  the  new-comer. 

Count  Raymond  could  hardly  credit  his  good  for- 
tune. For  the  first  time  since  his  exile,  he  commanded 
his  followers  to  burnish  their  arms  and  array  themselves 
gorgeously,  while  he  instantly  hastened  to  the  border 
of  the  valley,  that  he  might  catch  the  first  glimpse  of 
the  approaching  train.  All  in  Castle  Silence  were  in  a 
state  of  the  greatest  activity,  busied  in  adorning  castle 
and  park  in  the  gayest  manner.  It  seemed  as  though 
inanimate  objects  even  were  aware  whom  they  were 
to  receive,  for  the  flowers  had  never  before  breathed 
forth  such  delicious  fragrance  or  displayed  such 
brilliant  colours.  The  very  oaks  and  beeches  appeared 
to  be  possessed  with  a  desire  to  be  gallant  to  the 
princess,  for  they  raised  their  knotted  boughs,  with 
which  they  had  hitherto  excluded  every  one  from  the 
valley,  and  formed  a  beautiful,  shady  arch  over  the 
principal  avenue  to  Castle  Silence.  Upon  that  height 
of  the  mountain  chain  surrounding  the  valley  which 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


173 


afforded  a  fine  view  of  the  Neckar  and  marked  the 
boundaries  of  the  enchanted  land,  the  count  erected  a 
splendid  pavilion,  extending  the  canopy  far  out  into  the 
air  on  the  other  side  of  his  border-line,  that  under  it  the 
king  and  his  court  might  repose,  as  it  was  by  no  means 
likely  that  they  would  desire  to  enter  the  valley  and 
become  dumb. 

At  last,  on  a  lovely  evening,  the  count  perceived  the 
brilliant  procession  winding  between  the  mountains 
and  encamping  upon  the  shores  of  the  Neckar.  His 
heart  was  brimming  with  rapture,  not  only  with  the 
expectation  of  seeing  his  beloved  bride,  but  also  be- 
cause a  voice  within  him  seemed  to  whisper  that  the 
pure,  faithful  nature  of  the  princess  would  in  some  way 
dispel  the  enchantment  resting  upon  the  valley  and  Cas- 
tle Silence.  Thus  the  night  passed  in  blissful  dreams 
and  the  first  rays  of  the  morning  sun  saw  all  the  squires 
and  attendants  from  Castle  Silence  drawn  up  in  their 
most  brilliant  array  in  the  interior  of  the  pavilion. 
And  now  the  royal  train  approached,  and,  after  an  in- 
terchange of  greetings,  the  marriage  ceremony  began, 
conducted,  of  course,  on  one  side,  in  dumb  show. 
But,  when  it  was  concluded,  the  king  could  not  re- 
frain from  reminding  his  daughter  of  all  she  would  leave 
behind  her  when  she  passed  the  fatal  boundary-line, 
and  of  the  many  trials  that  awaited  her  beyond  it, — ■ 
dwelling  with  great  force  and  earnestness  upon  the  loss 
of  speech  for  the  rest  of  her  life.  But  the  love  and 
constancy  of  the  princess  scarcely  allowed  her  to  listen 
to  these  words.  With  tears,  she  sank  upon  her  father's 
breast,  embracing  him  tenderly,  and  then  stepped 
across  the  boundary  of  the  Silent  Valley  to  her  hus- 
15* 


174 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


band, — a  step  accompanied  by  a  shout  of  surprise  frcrn 
the  whole  royal  train,  who  had  always  believed  that,  as 
soon  as  the  princess  saw  the  dumb  assemblage  on  the 
other  side,  she  would  change  her  mind  entirely. 

But  scarcely  had  the  princess  given  her  hand  to  her 
husband  when  a  wonder  became  apparent,  for  she  was 
not  in  the  least  dumb,  but  expressed  her  delight  and 
happiness  in  her  usual  clear,  silvery  voice.  The  maids 
of  honour  and  waiting-women,  however,  who  accom- 
panied her,  did  not  fare  so  well,  for,  although  they 
tried  their  best  to  send  love  and  messages  to  their 
friends  at  home,  they  could  not  articulate  a  syllable, 
and  their  comical  efforts  to  speak  produced  no  little  mer- 
riment in  spite  of  the  pain  of  parting.  The  king,  de- 
lighted to  perceive  that  his  daughter  had  not  lost  the 
power  of  speech,  once  more  gave  her  his  blessing,  from 
a  distance,  and  then  departed  with  his  court,  quite 
content. 

And  now,  with  the  princess's  arrival,  anew  and  happy 
life  began  in  Castle  Silence.  It  seemed  as  though  the 
air  in  field  and  grove  were  fresher  and  healthier,  and  as 
though  the  flowers  bloomed  with  double  splendour.  All 
there  were  rejoiced  to  hear  a  human  voice  once  more, 
particularly  that  of  the  princess,  which  was  so  soft  and 
melodious  that  it  thrilled  with  delight  every  one  who 
heard  it,  and  the  count  thought  he  had  never  listened 
to  such  delicious  music. 

Thus  the  noble  pair  lived  contented  and  happy  in 
their  solitude,  and  in  all  the  improvements  of  his  estate 
the  count  found  an  able  assistant  in  the  princess,  under 
whose  direction  everything  flourished  and  grew  more 
luxuriantly  than  ever.    She  would  even  ride  out  with 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


175 


her  husband  into  the  forest,  to  watch  the  gambols 
of  the  stags  and  roes,  who  drew  confidingly  near  her, 
as  though  they  knew  that  in  her  presence  the  count's 
hunting-spear  would  not  harm  them. 

In  the  park,  at  some  distance  from  the  castle,  there 
was  a  spot  under  the  spreading  beeches  that  the  princess 
dearly  loved.  Thence  could  be  seen  the  Silent  Valley 
basking  in  quiet  beauty,  and  the  gaze  wandered  with 
rapture  from  the  rivulets  that  intersected  it  to  the 
meadows  bordered  by  the  lofty  surrounding  heights, 
covered  with  thick  forests,  which  stood  out  in  beautiful 
relief  against  the  distant  horizon.  From  this  spot  a 
path  led  on  one  side  to  the  gentle  eminence  upon  which 
stood  the  castle,  and  at  the  other  end  of  this  path  there 
was  to  all  appearance  a  small  lake.  But  neither  the 
count  nor  any  of  his  train  had  ever  succeeded  in  pene- 
trating to  the  extremity  of  this  path,  so  thickly  grew 
the  trees  and  underbrush  that  barred  their  progress  and 
even  prevented  all  glimpse  of  what  lay  beyond.  Many 
an  attempt  had  been  made,  but  in  vain,  to  cut  through 
the  thick,  interlacing  boughs  that  seemed  to  enclose  a 
little  sheet  of  water.  There  the  princess  was  sitting 
one  evening,  in  her  favourite  haunt,  buried  in  thoughts 
of  how  fair  and  lovely  the  valley  would  be  if  only,  by  a 
removal  of  the  enchantment  that  bound  it,  it  could 
once  more  be  placed  in  communication  with  the  out- 
side world. 

Pondering  this,  she  arose  and  wandered  down  the 
path  to  the  thick  bushes  that  terminated  it,  when,  to 
her  no  small  surprise,  she  perceived  through  the  dense 
growth  before  her  a  narrow  opening  which  showed 
a  glimpse  of  a  placid,  waveless  lake  beyond.    At  first 


76 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


she  was  about  to  turn  back,  but,  impelled  by  some 
unseen  power,  she  entered  the  narrow  path,  which 
had  never  been  perceived  there  before,  and  which  led 
her  to  the  banks  of  the  little  lake.  How  great  was  her 
wonder  when  she  saw  in  the  midst  of  this  little  lake  a 
plant,  the  leaves  of  which  were  coal-black  with  a  nar- 
row border  of  blood-red,  while  round  this  plant,  in 
widening  circles,  swam  a  swan,  also  coal-black  in  colour. 

The  whole  scene  was  so  strange  that  the  princess 
would  fain  have  retraced  her  steps,  but  she  could  not. 
On  the  contrary,  she  sank  down  involuntarily  upon  a 
large  mossy  stone  upon  the  shore,  and,  although  she 
combated  the  feeling  of  intense  weariness  that  crept 
over  her,  her  head  drooped,  and  she  fell  into  a  deep 
sleep. 

She  dreamed  that  the  black  swan  came  slowly 
to  the  shore  and  told  her  how  she  was  an  enchanted 
princess  who  had  betrayed  and  murdered  her  young 
husband  that  loved  her  truly  and  faithfully,  and 
therefore  her  father  had  cursed  her,  and  how  she  had 
been  condemned  as  a  punishment  for  her  crime  to 
swim  about  this  lonely  lake,  in  despair  and  woe,  until 
some  king's  daughter  should,  through  her  faithful  love 
for  her  husband,  be  enabled  to  break  the  evil  spell. 
"The  sight  of  you,  fair  sister,"  the  swan  sung  on, 
"has,  after  a  thousand  years  of  vain  longing,  once 
more  awakened  within  me  a  hope  that  the  enchantment 
may  be  dispelled.  That  you  did  not  forget  your  lover 
is  a  proof  of  your  fidelity,  and  that  you  followed  him 
into  this  enchanted  valley  is  a  proof  of  your  love. 
Your  heart,  too,  must  be  wholly  pure  and  free  from 
guile,  or  the  foliage  around  this  lake  would  never 


'  Taking  one  of  the  eagle's  feathers,  she  uttered  aloud  a  wish  that  the 
bird  would  remember  her  " 

Page  177. 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


177 


have  parted  and  shown  you  a  path  through  it.  And 
yet,  notwithstanding  all  this,  three  things  are  still 
wanting,  without  which  the  enchantment  that  keeps 
me  here  can  never  be  destroyed.  These  are,  first 
a  drop  of  the  Water  of  Life,  second  a  seed  of  the  Roc 
flower,  and  third  a  breath  of  the  warm  gale  that  blows 
over  Araby  the  Blest.  But  these  things  can  only  be 
procured  by  one  who  by  kindness  to  her  fellow-creatures 
has  bound  to  her  in  chains  of  gratitude  some  inhabitant 
of  the  air." 

So  the  princess  seemed  to  dream,  and  when  she 
awoke  and  saw  the  swan  swimming  quietly  upon  the 
water  she  pondered  the  words  she  had  just  heard,  and 
went  quietly  and  thoughtfully  towards  the  castle.  She 
was  conscious  of  her  faithful  love  for  her  husband,  and 
of  a  pure  heart,  but  how  could  she  procure  the  three 
things  indispensable  to  the  breaking  of  the  spell?  As 
she  was  thinking  over  all  this,  the  thought  of  the  eagle's 
black  feathers,  which  she  had  laid  aside  on  that  last 
evening  and  had  forgotten,  suddenly  occurred  to  her, 
and  that  she  had  some  claim  upon  the  gratitude  of  the 
bird,  who  had  been  so  profuse  in  his  thanks.  Full  of 
these  musings,  she  told  no  one  of  her  visit  to  the 
lake,  but,  when  she  arose  the  next  morning,  she  deter- 
mined, before  night,  to  make  an  attempt  to  summon 
the  bird  to  her  side  by  means  of  these  three  feathers, 
and  break  the  spell  resting  upon  Castle  Silence. 

As  evening  approached,  she  took  her  way  towards  the 
lonely  lake.  Again  the  dense  foliage  parted  before  her 
and  she  seated  herself  upon  the  mossy  stone  on  the 
shore.  Taking  one  of  the  eagle's  feathers,  she  uttered 
aloud  a  wish  that  the  bird  would  remember  her,  and 

M 


1 78 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


come  down  to  her  from  the  clouds.  Scarcely  had  the 
words  left  her  lips,  when  she  heard  the  old  whirr  in  the 
air,  and  the  eagle  alighted  on  the  ground  before  her, 
and  saluted  her  respectfully.  "Fair  princess,"  said  he, 
"I  hope  you  have  called  me  to  require  some  service  of 
me  by  which  I  can  testify  my  gratitude  to  you."  The 
princess  replied  that  she  had  indeed  a  difficult  service 
to  ask  of  him,  which  consisted  in  nothing  less  than  in 
procuring  for  her  a  drop  of  the  Water  of  Life.  The  bird 
bowed  low,  and  assured  her  graciously  that  to  bring  her 
this  drop  would  be  a  trifling  matter  to  him.  He  took 
one  of  his  feathers  from  her  hand,  soared  into  the  air, 
and  was  soon  out  of  sight.  The  black  swan  seemed  to 
understand  these  proceedings,  for  it  approached  the 
shore  where  the  princess  sat,  looked  at  her  earnestly 
for  some  minutes,  and,  when  it  perceived  that  she  had 
attracted  her  attention,  took  a  drop  of  water  from  the 
lake  in  its  bill,  and,  swimming  towards  the  plant  in  the 
centre,  let  the  drop  fall  upon  its  leaves. 

In  less  than  a  minute  the  eagle  returned,  bearing  in 
his  beak  the  desired  drop  of  water,  which,  at  the  re- 
quest of  the  princess,  who  had  understood  the  swan's 
signs,  he  sprinkled  upon  the  plant.  This  was  scarcely 
done,  when  the  black  hue  and  red  rims  of  the  leaves 
disappeared,  and  they  became  a  beautiful  fresh  green. 

In  the  same  manner  the  princess  begged  the  eagle  to 
bring  her  a  seed  of  the  Roc  flower  and  a  breath  of  the 
gales  of  Araby  the  Blest, — both  of  which  he  brought  in 
less  than  a  minute.  Scarcely  had  the  seed  fallen  upon 
the  plant  in  the  centre  of  the  lake,  when  a  great  bud 
grew  forth  from  it,  and  upon  this  bud  the  eagle  breathed 
the  warm,  spicy  gale  from  Arabia. 


CASTLE  SILENCE. 


179 


Then  a  fearful  clap  of  thunder  rolled  over  the  Silent 
Valley,  and  the  waves  of  the  lake,  before  so  glassy, 
foamed  and  boiled  furiously.  With  a  loud  report,  the 
bud  of  the  plant  burst,  and  a  flower  unfolded  itself, 
consisting  of  a  single  dark  purple  petal,  upon  which 
glittered  three  silver  rings.  Twice  again  the  deafening 
thunder  rolled,  and  the  water  of  the  lake  raged  in  such 
foaming  billows  that  the  poor  princess  closed  her  eyes 
and  sank  into  a  deep  swoon. 

In  Castle  Silence  the  mighty  claps  of  thunder  were 
also  heard,  and  every  one,  from  the  count  to  the 
meanest  scullion,  was  thrilled  with  a  joyful  shock, 
for,  instead  of  being  forced,  as  usual,  to  express  their 
wonder  by  signs,  they  were  all  suddenly  able  to  speak. 
The  count  started  from  his  seat,  and,  to  his  own  sur- 
prise, asked  his  master  of  the  horse  whence  a  clap 
of  thunder  could  proceed,  with  such  clear  skies  above. 
The  maids  and  ladies-in-waiting  dropped  their  work 
and  screamed  aloud.  The  cellarer,  who  had  a  glass  of 
foaming  ale  at  his  lips,  let  it  fall,  with  a  loud  oath,  and 
two  stable-boys,  who  had  been  quarrelling  very  unsatis- 
factorily by  signs  only,  were  surprised  to  find  that  they 
could  give  vent  to  their  ill  humour  in  good  round 
terms. 

The  count's  first  inquiry,  when  he  had  somewhat  re- 
covered himself,  was  for  his  wife,  and,  hastening  along 
the  corridor  which  led  to  her  apartment,  he  met  her 
ladies-in-waiting,  who  were  looking  for  her  also, — and 
together  they  went  into  the  park  to  find  her.  The 
count,  who  arrived  first  at  her  favourite  place  of  resort, 
was  alarmed  at  not  finding  her  there,  and  no  less  sur- 
prised to  find  that  all  the  undergrowth  at  the  foot  of  the 


180  CASTLE  SILENCE. 

hill  had  disappeared.  But  in  its  place  he  saw  a  clear, 
quiet  lake,  surrounded  by  blooming  roses  which  formed 
an  arbour  over  a  mossy  stone,  upon  which  the  princess 
was  seated.  At  this  moment  she  recovered  from  her 
swoon,  and  sank,  weeping  with  joy,  upon  her  husband's 
bosom.  In  a  few  words  she  told  him  how  she  had  freed 
the  valley  and  Castle  Silence  from  the  spell  under  which 
it  had  so  long  lain.  The  sky  was  no  longer  gloomy  and 
lowering,  and  high  in  the  air  hovered  a  mighty  black 
eagle,  while  a  pair  of  white  swans  were  soaring  away 
in  a  purple  cloud  that  was  seen  sailing  towards  the  east. 
The  waters  of  the  lake  were  clear  and  calm,  and  upon 
the  little  ripples  that  broke  upon  the  shore  where  the 
princess  was  sitting,  floated  the  purple  flower-leaf  with 
the  three  silver  rings  lying  upon  it. 

As  the  count  had  often  heard  the  legend  of  the  three 
healing  serpent-rings,  and  learned  from  his  wife  that  at 
the  moment  of  the  disenchantment  of  the  valley  and 
castle  these  three  rings  had  risen  from  the  lake,  he 
prized  them  very  highly.  He  did  well  to  do  so,  for  they 
threw  their  spells  around  the  princess  and  himself,  who, 
if  they  had  been  beloved  before,  were  now  quite 
adored  by  all  who  came  near  them.  The  count 
adopted  the  three  silver  rings  into  his  coat  of  arms, 
where  they  may  be  seen  to  this  day,  upon  a  crimson 
field. 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


Upon  a  high,  high  mountain  there  once  stood  a 
beautiful,  stately  castle,  surrounded  by  thick  walls  and 
a  deep  moat,  across  which  led  heavy  drawbridges  with 
mighty  portcullises,  and  on  their  upper  part,  carved  in 
stone,  were  the  arms  of  the  powerful  lord  to  whom  the 
mountain  and  the  castle  belonged.  We  cannot  exactly 
tell  the  name  of  this  castle,  but  that  has  nothing  to  do 
with  our  story.  Its  walls  and  towers  have  crumbled 
into  such  ruin  that  scarcely  one  stone  is  left  upon  an- 
other. We  now  have  to  tell  about  the  family  who  lived 
there.  It  was  not  destroyed  with  the  castle,  but  was 
saved  by  the  accidental  preservation  of  a  very  young 
branch  of  this  famous  line  of  Schreckenberg.  It  had 
from  time  immemorial  done  justice  to  its  name,  which 
signifies  "Terrible-mountain,"  for  if  a  train  of  mer- 
chants or  others  approached  this  stronghold,  in  their 
travels,  they  did  it  with  terror :  a  falcon  does  not  more 
surely  perceive  a  dove  than  did  the  men-at-arms,  watch- 
ing on  the  towers  of  the  castle,  the  procession  of  mer- 
chants in  the  valley  below,  even  though  they  marched 
in  the  night  that  they  might  pass  the  dreaded  fortress 
under  cover  of  darkness.  It  really  seemed  as  though 
its  inmates  were  in  league  with  evil  spirits.  The  armed 
escorts  which  accompanied  the  trains  were  never  able 
16  (181) 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


to  get  the  goods,  which  they  were  protecting,  safely 
past  this  castle.  The  inhabitants  of  the  neighbour- 
ing towns  had  often  banded  together  and  attempted  for 
months  to  beleaguer  the  Schreckenberg  on  all  sides, 
but  in  vain.  The  good  citizens  found,  sooner  or  later, 
that  it  was  better  to  spare  a  bale  of  silk,  now  and  then, 
to  the  lord  of  Schreckenberg,  for  dresses  for  his  lady- 
wife,  or  a  wagon-load  of  skins  for  his  men,  than  ex- 
pose themselves  to  the  darts  from  his  mangonels,  and 
thus  put  their  own  skins  in  peril. 

The  last  of  the  illustrious  and  renowned  family  of 
Schreckenberg  was  Fritz  of  Schreckenberg,  the  worst 
and  wildest  of  them  all,  and  yet  he  was  much  more 
beloved  than  any  others  ever  had  been.  Although  he 
never  allowed  a  train  of  merchants  to  pass  by  his  castle 
without  plundering  them,  he  always  left  them  some- 
thing, and  often  contented  himself  with  one-half  of 
their  goods.  He  never  bore  off  to  his  castle  the 
merchants  or  horsemen  whom  he  attacked,  and  as 
long  as  Fritz  reigned  there,  the  castle-dungeons  were 
empty.  Neither  did  he  ever  make  expeditions  into 
the  surrounding  country,  as  those  before  him  had  done, 
but  sat  like  a  spider  in  its  web,  and  only  took  what 
came  within  his  clutches.  This  conduct  was  owing 
partly  to  his  own  natural  good  humour  and  partly  to  a 
prophecy  which  had  been  made  to  one  of  his  ancestors 
and  which  designated  the  tenth  Schreckenberg  as  the 
one  under  whom  the  castle  should  fall  into  decay  so 
that  not  one  stone  should  be  left  upon  another.  The 
death  of  his  dearly-loved  and  gentle  wife  made  the  lord 
of  Schreckenberg  still  more  heedful  of  this  prophecy, 
and  often  plunged  him  into  melancholy.    In  his  youth 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD.  1S3 

Fritz  had  been  married,  but  did  not  long  enjoy  the 
possession  of  his  lovely  wife,  for,  after  having  borne 
him  a  son,  whom  he  had  christened  Kuno,  she  lived 
only  one  year,  and  then  sought  that  heaven  to  which 
she  clearly  belonged,  so  pious  and  gentle  was  she. 

But  what  in  especial  reminded  the  noble  knight  of 
the  old  prophecy  was  a  dream  which  his  wife  dreamed 
three  times  just  before  her  death,  and  which  she  re- 
lated to  him.  She  dreamed  that,  looking  down  from 
heaven,  she  saw  the  castle  in  flames,  heard  the  crash 
of  the  battering-rams  and  the  shouts  of  the  besiegers, 
and  saw  her  husband  fight  bravely  and  then  fall  with 
his  sword  in  his  hand,  but  she  shortly  had  the  con- 
solation of  having  him  with  her  in  heaven.  With  her 
child,  the  little  Kuno,  it  was  far  otherwise.  She  saw 
plainly  the  apartment  where  the  little  fellow  had  hidden 
himself  in  a  large  arm-chair,  terrified  at  the  tumult  and 
noise;  and  how  his  attendants  ran  away,  frightened, 
and  left  him  alone.  She  shuddered,  when  the  flames 
spread  more  and  more,  and  she  heard  the  noise  grow 
louder,  and  perceived  no  means  of  escape  for  the  child. 
Then,  suddenly,  he  looked  up  cheerfully,  and  ran 
to  a  corner  of  the  room  where  stood  a  great  copper 
tankard  that  she  had  never  seen  before.  He  seized 
it  by  the  handle,  and  she  dreamed  that  the  tankard 
glided  swiftly  away,  with  the  child  clinging  to  it.  She 
saw  it  float  down  the  burning  stairs,  over  the  shattered 
drawbridge  and  ruinous  walls,  to  the  clear  fields  with- 
out, where  the  boy  and  tankard  vanished.  As  I  said 
before,  the  poor  lady  dreamed  this  three  times  without 
any  change,  and  related  it  minutely  to  her  husband, 
who  was  not  gieatly  edified  thereby.    But  he  listened 


1 84  THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


quietly,  and  thought,  wisely  enough,  "No  one  can  avert 
his  destiny,  I'm  sure  I  cannot.  Let  us  calmly  await 
the  inevitable."  At  the  request  of  the  sick  countess, 
all  the  old  rubbish  in  the  castle  was  overhauled,  in 
hopes  of  finding  a  tankard  which  should  bear  some  re- 
semblance to  the  one  she  had  seen  in  her  dream,  and 
such  an  one  was  actually  found.  It  was  an  old  copper 
vessel  that  had  lain  about  for  many  years  without  at- 
tracting any  one's  attention.  Now  it  was  brought  out 
and  cleansed  from  dirt  and  dust,  when  it  was  found 
that  upon  its  sides  were  engraved  coats  of  arms  and  all 
sorts  of  entertaining  scenes,  tournaments,  battles,  etc. 
The  tankard  was,  by  the  countess's  command,  made 
the  constant  plaything  of  the  young  Kuno,  who  was 
not  a  little  delighted  with  his  new  acquisition.  It 
seemed  indeed  as  though  the  child  knew  of  how  much 
importance  this  tankard,  according  to  his  mother's 
dream,  would  one  day  become  to  him,  for  after  it  was 
given  to  him  he  disliked  to  part  with  it,  and  would 
amuse  himself  for  hours  tracing  with  his  little  finger 
the  strange  pictures  engraved  upon  its  sides. 

It  was  as  if  the  feeble  spark  of  life  within  the 
countess's  breast  had  only  tarried  until  she  might  fulfil 
her  desire  concerning  the  tankard,  and  as  though  she 
felt  that  she  had  committed  her  boy  to  the  protec- 
tion of  a  powerful  guardian  spirit.  A  few  weeks  after 
the  finding  of  the  vessel,  she  closed  her  eyes  and 
left  this  wicked  world,* to  seek  the  purer  joys  of 
heaven.  The  count  was  naturally  much  distressed 
at  her  death,  and  appeared  to  have  lost  all  desire  to 
pursue  his  former  robber-career.  The  esquire  upon  the 
highest  tower  in  vain  descried  whole  trains  of  travelling 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


merchants, —  his  master,  pondering  the  ancient  proph- 
ecy, had  no  desire  to  call  down  Heaven's  wrath  upon 
his  head  any  sooner  than  had  been  decreed ;  on  the 
contrary,  he  did  all  that  he  could  to  induce  Heaven  to 
regard  him  favourably.  He  built  convents,  heaped 
wealth  upon  poor  pilgrims,  and  lived  quiet  and  retired 
in  his  castle.  He  liked  far  better  to  sit  with  little 
Kuno  by  his  side,  and  drink  the  best  wine  in  his  cellar 
from  the  copper  tankard,  than  to  ride  plundering 
about  over  hills  and  fields.  He  would  tell  of  his  early 
adventures  for  hours  at  a  time,  or  play  with  the  boy 
until  the  wine  began  to  stupefy  him  and  he  went  quietly 
to  sleep.  This  often  happened,  and  he  imagined  that 
his  dreams  were  much  pleasanter  than  usual,  when  he 
drank  out  of  the  copper  tankard.  It  is  true  that  at  such 
times  he  often  dreamed,  as  his  wife  had  done,  of  the 
ruin  of  his  castle,  but  he  always  saw  from  the  decay  a 
lovely  flower  arise  —  the  crown  imperial — and  wave 
proudly  above  the  grass  and  flowers  which  grew 
around  it. 

The  little  Kuno  got  to  be  ten  years  old,  and,  as 
the  Count  of  Schreckenberg  no  longer  molested  trav- 
ellers, and  was  at  peace  with  the  knights  in  the 
neighbourhood,  he  began  gradually  to  consider  his 
wife's  dreams,  as  well  as  the  ancient  prophecy,  as  some- 
thing quite  visionary  and  incredible.  Unfortunately, 
he  could  not  long  repose  in  this  belief.  Suddenly  a 
band  of  men  from  a  neighbouring  country  devastated 
the  land,  and  a  uni\  ersal  bloody  war  arose.  Then  Fritz 
of  Schreckenberg  knew  that  his  hour  had  come,  and, 
calling  together  h:s  vassals  and  retainers,  he  chose  the 
6toutest  from  among  them,  and  with  their  help  buried 
16* 


t86 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


his  principal  treasures.  After  he  had  given  these  men 
a  generous  part  of  his  wealth,  he  made  them  swear  a 
solemn  oath  that  if  he  did  not  escape  with  his  life  they 
would  care  for  his  son.  He  then  fortified  his  castle  as 
strongly  as  he  could,  and  awaited  the  issue,  which  was 
quick  and  sad  enough. 

Everything  happened  which  the  dying  countess  had 
foreseen  in  her  dream.  The  castle  was  stormed,  and  the 
count  fell,  as  did  his  best  men, — indeed,  all  of  those 
who  had  taken  the  oath  to  succour  his  child  and  who 
preferred  to  fulfil  the  first  oath  that  they  had  taken — 
that  of  fidelity  to  their  lord,  in  fulfilment  of  which 
they  stood,  fought,  and  died  by  his  side.  The  castle 
walls  were  so  shattered  that  not  one  stone  remained 
upon  another,  and,  as  the  attendants  of  the  little  Kuno 
obeyed  the  impulse  "each  for  himself,"  the  poor  child 
was  left  alone,  and  no  living  soul  knew  what  had 
become  of  him. 

While  all  the  evil  which  the  countess  had  foreseen  was 
thus  fulfilled,  the  good  which  she  had  prophesied  was 
also  realized,  and  the  little  Kuno  was  preserved  in  a 
wonderful  and  mysterious  manner.  When  the  uproar 
arose  around  the  castle,  he  listened  at  first  to  the 
blasts  of  the  horns  and  the  shouts  of  the  besiegers  with- 
out fear,  but  his  childish  delight  only  lasted  until  the 
windows  of  the  apartment  where  he  was  were  reddened 
by  the  flames  of  the  burning  rafters,  and  until  the 
battle-cries  of  the  combatants,  mingled  with  the  groans 
of  the  wounded,  became  audible  in  the  passages  and 
stairways  near  him.  Then  he  was  seized  with  an  inde- 
finable terror,  and  he  tried  to  open  the  door,  which  his 
faithless  attendants  had  shut  tightly  behind  them  when 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


187 


they  left  him.  But,  as  he  was  too  weak  to  do  this,  he 
hastened  to  his  old  playfellow,  the  copper  tankard, 
which  stood  in  the  corner,  and,  seizing  it  by  the  handle, 
called  weeping  upon  his  father. 

The  connection  in  his  mind  of  the  tankard  with 
his  father  was  very  natural.  He  had  seen  the  old 
lord  with  this  vessel  constantly  in  his  hand.  But  Fritz 
of  Schreckenberg  could  not  hear  his  child's  cries. 
It  was  just  at  this  moment  that  he  fell  lifeless  to 
the  ground,  struck  down  by  the  weapon  of  an  enemy. 
After  the  boy  had  called  his  father  and  attendants 
several  times  in  vain,  he  suddenly  felt  himself  gently 
drawn  along,  as  though  the  tankard  were  a  living  being 
taking  him  with  it.  The  door  sprang  open,  and  Kuno 
glided  through  it,  down  the  burning  stairs,  without 
being  singed  by  the  flames,  and  past  the  crumbling 
walls,  without  a  stone's  touching  him.  Thus  he  went 
swiftly  through  the  court-yard  towards  the  great  gate, 
and  would  soon  have  been  beyond  the  castle  precincts, 
when  he  heard  close  to  him  the  cries  of  a  boy  who, 
in  former,  happy  days,  had  often  been  his  playfellow. 
His  name  was  Wolf,  and  he  was  the  warder's  son. 

Kuno  no  sooner  heard  his  old  playfellow's  voice, 
than  he  answered  it,"  Here,  here  !"  and  added,"  Hurry, 
dear  Wolf,  and  come  quickly,  or  we  shall  both  be  burnt 
up !"  Wolf  made  no  delay  in  jumping  out  of  his  hiding- 
place —  an  immense  water-butt  —  and  came,  running 
quickly.  He  had  scarcely  touched  Kuno's  dress,  when 
the  invisible  power  which  had  borne  the  boy  unhurt 
down  the  burning  stairs  was  again  exerted,  and  the  two 
children  hurried  safely  onwards.  They  hardly  knew 
how  they  got  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain ;  they  ran  3 


i88 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


long  way  through  the  fields  without  being  tired,  and 
when,  sometimes,  they  turned  back  to  see  whence  they 
had  come,  they  beheld  Kuno's  paternal  castle  in  flames, 
at  which  sight  they  both  burst  into  tears,  without,  how- 
ever, staying  their  flight  for  an  instant.  Then  they 
ascended  other  mountains,  and  their  burning  home 
began  to  grow  indistinct,  and  soon  they  saw  nothing 
of  it  but  a  red  reflection  against  the  sky.  Evening 
had  already  set  in. 

The  boys  now  suddenly  felt  extremely  tired,  and 
looked  about  for  some  place  where  they  could  pass  the 
night.  But  they  could  see  nothing,  far  or  near,  save 
heaths  and  forests,  mountains  and  valleys, — no  house, 
not  even  a  poor  shed,  under  which  they  might  creep 
to  avoid  passing  the  night  in  the  open  air.  They  sat 
down  upon  the  green  moss  under  a  tree,  and,  after  re- 
garding each  other  with  mournful  looks,  and  moaning 
deeply,  they  burst  into  fresh  tears  and  felt  that  they 
had  indeed  lost  everything.  "Ah!"  sobbed  Kuno, 
"where  can  my  papa  be?  They  have  killed  him,  and 
he  is  dead!"  "Yes,"  added  Wolf,  "and  mine,  and 
my  mother,  and  my  little  sister!"  "All,  all  dead," 
interrupted  Kuno,  "all  dead  and  gone!" 

At  these  words  their  tears  burst  forth  anew,  and 
they  sobbed  together.  But,  as  no  one  was  near  to  pity 
them  and  beg  them  not  to  cry  any  more,  they  soon 
stopped,  and  Wolf,  who  was  two  years  older  than 
Kuno,  tried  to  divert  his  companion's  thoughts.  "Yes, 
dear  Kuno,"  said  he,  "we  are  unhappy  indeed,  for  we 
have  lost  everything.  What  is  to  be  done?  There  is 
no  house  near  to  receive  us,  so  we  must  sleep  in  the 
open  air,  and  I  don't  think  it  will  kill  us.    Don't  you 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


1 89 


remember  that  your  father  told  us  that  when  he  was  a 
little  boy  he  went  out  hunting,  and  that  the  whole  train 
lost  their  way,  and  that  he,  as  well  as  the  oldest  esquire, 
had  to  sleep  upon  the  ground,  and  that  it  did  him  no 
harm?  So  we  will  lie  down  close  together,  and  see  if 
we  too  cannot  sleep  under  the  open  sky." 

Kuno  was  indeed  somewhat  comforted  by  these  words 
from  his  companion  in  misfortune,  and,  as  he  as  well 
as  Wolf  was  a  stout-hearted  boy,  he  assented,  and  they 
looked  for  a  fitting  sleeping-place.  Kuno  had  until 
this  moment  held  the  copper  tankard — to  which,  with- 
out knowing  it,  they  both  owed  their  preservation — 
firmly  in  his  hand,  for  this  cup,  his  sole  inheritance, 
reminded  him  so  vividly  of  his  ruined  home,  his  father 
and  his  mother,  that  he  felt  comforted  in  having  it 
near  him. 

After  the  two  boys  had  looked  around  them  for  some 
time,  they  found  a  hollow  oak  lined  with  the  softest 
moss.  Wolf  made  his  companion  creep  in  first,  that 
with  his  tankard  he  might  have  the  safest  and  best 
place,  while  he  himself  lay  down  in  the  entrance,  that 
in  case  of  danger  he  might  be  able  to  protect  his  little 
friend. 

Both  fell  sound  asleep,  and,  as  they  were  very  weary, 
they  did  not  wake  until  the  sun  had  climbed  to  the  tops 
of  the  mountains  and  sent  its  red,  quivering  rays  into 
the  hollow  tree.  Then  they  sprang  up,  crept  out  of 
their  shelter,  and  held  a  council  as  to  the  best  course 
to  pursue.  Kuno  thought  it  would  be  advisable  to  re- 
trace their  steps  to  the  castle,  to  see  if  perhaps  one  of 
his  father's  friends,  who  could  help  them,  might  yet 
survive.    But  Wolf  disapproved  of  this  plan,  assuring 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


his  little  friend  that  the  enemy  was  swarming  in  the 
neighbourhood  to  collect  booty,  and  that  they  should 
certainly  be  killed  if  they  showed  themselves.  This 
satisfied  Kuno,  and  they  determined  to  wander  through 
the  country,  trying  to  support  themselves  in  some 
way.  They  plucked,  for  breakfast,  some  berries  which 
were  growing  around,  and  then  went  to  a  little  brook 
which  gurgled  through  the  grass  not  far  from  their 
shelter-tree.  Here  they  filled  the  tankard  with  clear 
water,  and,  when  they  had  both  taken  a  drink,  were 
not  a  little  surprised  to  find  that,  notwithstanding 
the  little  that  they  had  eaten,  they  were  no  longer 
hungry. 

Then  they  set  out  with  renewed  strength,  and,  turn- 
ing their  backs  towards  the  quarter  where  they  supposed 
their  old  home  was,  they  walked  on  without  turning  to 
the  right  or  left,  they  knew  not  whither.  The  only  thing 
to  which  they  gave  heed  was  the  nature  of  the  soil  over 
which  they  passed.  At  one  time  they  would  make  a 
great  circuit  that  they  might  avoid  wading  through  a 
swamp,  and  at  another  they  had  to  walk  for  a  long  time 
on  the  edge  of  a  wood  along  which  ran  a  deep  ditch. 
Thus  they  toiled  wearily  on  all  day  long.  And  when  the 
sun  set  they  had  no  prospect  of  passing  the  night  more 
comfortably  than  the  last.  There  were  no  signs  of 
human  habitation  around  them,  no  cultivated  fields  or 
fruit-trees, — nothing  save  dreary  heaths  through  which 
here  and  there  rippled  desolately  a  half-dried  up  brook. 
The  forests  consisted  of  black,  gloomy  firs,  whose 
branches  hung  sadly  down  upon  the  ground,  and  which 
moaned  and  sighed  fitfully  when  the  wind  swept  through 
them.    It  grew  darker  and  darker,  and  the  two  boys 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


seated  themselves  on  the  banks  of  a  little  stream,  and, 
as  during  their  day's  march  they  had  found  no  berries 
to  satisfy  their  hunger,  they  filled  their  tankard  with 
water  from  the  brook  and  took  a  deep  draught. 

But  what  was  their  astonishment  when,  upon  drink- 
ing, they  discovered,  as  in  the  morning,  that  their 
hunger  was  as  perfectly  satisfied  as  though  they  had 
eaten  an  excellent  meal!  They  soon  fell  quietly 
asleep,  and,  awaking  strengthened  and  refreshed 
in  the  morning,  they  pursued  their  way.  It  was  now 
the  third  day  since  they  had  left  home,  and,  alas ! 
their  future  looked  no  brighter  than  at  first.  They 
walked  on,  across  moors,  through  fir  forests,  and  over 
moors  again,  until  the  afternoon,  and  just  as  the  sun 
was  beginning  to  set  they  saw  before  them  in  the 
distance  a  mountain-chain  covered  with  firs  and  other 
fresh  green,  where  they  hoped  at  last  to  find  human 
habitations  and  some  assistance.  They  refreshed  them- 
selves again  with  a  draught  of  clear  water,  and  strode 
onwards  so  stoutly  that  at  nightfall  they  had  reached 
the  mountains.  The  hope  of  finding  men  and 
human  dwellings  upon  these  hills  would  not  allow 
them  to  spread  their  nightly  couch  under  the  open 
air  in  the  valley,  but  they  began  bravely  to  ascend 
the  steep  elevation  to  search  for  a  house  or  village 
above.  Behind  them  rose  the  full  moon,  illumining 
their  path  brilliantly,  and  this  was  of  great  assistance 
to  them,  for  the  higher  they  went  the  steeper  and 
more  rocky  grew  the  path.  Great  masses  of  stone, 
over  which  they  climbed  only  with  great  difficulty, 
at  times  blocked  their  way,  and  then  the  bushes 
and  fallen  trunks  of  trees  would  make  their  progress 


192 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


almost  impossible.  But  after  several  most  laborious 
hours  they  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain  and  threw 
themselves  exhausted  upon  the  ground,  under  an  oak, 
to  rest  awhile.  After  their  fatigue  had  lessened  some- 
what, Wolf  climbed  into  the  tree  and  surveyed  the 
country  all  around.  Just  before  them  the  forest  de- 
scended, and  it  seemed  as  though  the  group  of  moun- 
tains, upon  which  they  were,  enclosed  in  a  great  half- 
circle  a  quiet  valley.  And  this  was  really  so ;  but,  with 
all  his  exertions,  Wolf  could  see  nothing  around  him 
except  the  tops  of  the  trees.  Something,  it  is  true, 
glistened  among  them  here  and  there,  which,  when  he 
strained  his  gaze,  seemed  to  be  a  large  round  lake  upon 
which  the  moon  shone  brightly.  Kuno,  who  was  not 
contented  with  the  comfortless  description  that  Wolf 
gave  of  the  prospect,  insisted  upon  climbing  the  tree 
himself,  which  he  did,  still  holding  his  dear  tankard  in 
his  hand.  When  he  too  stood  in  the  tree-top,  the  two 
boys  again  looked  sharply  about  them,  and,  although 
Wolf  insisted  that  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen,  Kuno 
suddenly  cried  out  that  he  could  see  a  little  house  down 
there,  and  pointed  to  it  with  his  finger.  But,  although 
Wolf  wiped  his  eyes  and  gazed  so  earnestly  that  the 
trees  seemed  to  dance  around  him,  he  could  see  nothing 
until,  accidentally,  he  laid  his  hand  upon  the  copper 
tankard,  and  then  he  instantly  saw  the  little  house  of 
which  Kuno  had  spoken.  He  could  not  imagine  how 
he  could  have  missed  seeing  before  what  was  now  so 
plain  before  his  eyes.  After  he  had  taken  the  pre- 
caution of  throwing  his  cap  from  the  tree  in  the 
direction  of  the  house,  both  came  down  and  betook 
themselves  thither.    They  found  the  descent  into  the 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


193 


valley  much  easier  than  the  ascent  of  the  mountain 
had  been,  but  they  were  obliged  to  walk  quickly  for 
two  good  hours  before  they  reached  the  small  house, 
which  had  seemed  so  near  when  seen  from  the  top  of 
the  tree. 

At  last  they  stepped  out  of  the  forest  upon  a  grassy 
opening,  in  the  midst  of  which  was  a  little  garden  sur- 
rounding a  cottage.  The  little  garden  was  enclosed  by 
a  fence  made  of  white  and  red  coral  tipped  with  silver 
snakes' -heads.  They  walked  round  and  round  this 
fence  many  times,  vainly  seeking  for  a  gate  that  they 
might  open.  They  were  just  about  to  climb  over  it, 
when  Kuno,  who  carried  the  copper  tankard  in  his 
hand,  accidentally  touched  the  coral  fence  with  it  in 
passing,  and  instantly  a  gate  sprang  open  and  admitted 
them  to  the  garden.  It  closed  immediately  behind 
them,  and  so  perfectly  were  the  coral  stakes  and  rails 
fitted  together  that  they  in  vain  attempted  to  discover 
the  opening  through  which  they  had  come.  This  was 
surprising  enough,  but  at  sight  of  the  garden  they  were 
almost  beside  themselves  with  wonder.  The  paths 
that  wound  among  the  flower-beds  shone  as  though 
they  were  covered  with  silver  dust.  And  their  bril- 
liancy was  nothing  to  that  of  the  flowers  which  grew 
in  the  beds.  It  was  like  a  shower  of  diamonds, 
rubies,  emeralds,  pearls,  gold,  and  silver, — this  splen- 
dour that  danced  and  glittered  before  the  eyes  of 
the  astonished  boys.  They  were  so  dazzled  that  they 
could  not  examine  these  wonderful  plants  more  closely. 
Wolf  besought  his  companion  not  to  stay  too  long 
in  the  strange  garden,  but  to  go  with  him  directly  to 
the  cottage,  that  the  owner  might  not  complain  of 

N  17 


i94 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


their  wandering  so  long  in  his  grounds  without  asking 
his  permission. 

So,  as  silently  as  possible,  they  approached  the  cot- 
tage that  stood  before  them.  Its  four  walls  were  of 
smooth,  white  marble,  and  the  windows  seemed  to 
be  huge  brilliants  framed  and  set  in  gold.  The  roof 
consisted  of  red  coral  with  its  branches  all  sticking 
upright,  and,  like  the  fence,  every  point  was  surmounted 
by  a  silver  snake' s-head ;  it  seemed  as  though  thousands 
of  red  snakes  were  writhing  there.  The  two  boys 
now  stood  before  the  golden  door,  and  Wolf  knocked 
modestly  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  inmates.  He 
knocked  once,  twice,  three  times,  but  no  one  came 
to  open  the  door.  As  they  thought  that  every  one 
within  must  be  asleep,  they  knocked  more  loudly,  and 
when  this  was  of  no  avail  the  two  boys  raised  their 
voices  and  begged  imploringly  to  be  admitted,  saying 
that  they  were  two  poor  children  who  had  lost  their 
way  and  did  not  know  where  they  should  pass  the 
night.  In  vain;  no  one  appeared,  and  not  the  slightest 
noise  was  heard  within  the  house.  Kuno,  who  was  very 
weary,  sat  down  upon  the  ground  before  the  door,  and 
in  doing  so  accidentally  knocked  his  copper  tankard 
against  it,  when  it  instantly  flew  open. 

Wolf,  in  great  astonishment,  started  back  and  did 
not  dare  to  enter.  But  at  last  both  took  courage,  and 
after  they  had  once  more  called  upon  the  inmates,  who- 
ever they  might  be,  and  who  were  neither  to  be  seen 
nor  heard,  they  passed  through  the  door  and  came  to 
a  little  room  furnished  with  great  magnificence.  What 
surprised  and  delighted  them  most  was  the  sight  of  two 
beds  there.    Timidly  and  anxiously  they  drew  near 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


*95 


them,  to  see  if  they  contained  any  one.  But,  although 
they  turned  back  the  coverlets  and  even  looked  under 
the  beds,  they  could  find  no  one.  Whereupon,  after 
a  short  consultation,  fatigue  prevailed,  and  they  de- 
cided to  get  into  these  beds  themselves.  They  there- 
fore undressed  and  crept  under  the  silken  covers,  said 
their  evening  prayers,  and  were  soon  fast  asleep. 

As  is  often  the  case  with  children  who  sleep  for  the 
first  time  in  a  strange  place,  though  upon  ever  so  soft 
a  bed,  and  in  ever  so  beautiful  a  room,  these  two  boys 
awoke  much  earlier  than  usual.  And  this  morning 
there  was  an  additional  cause  for  an  early  awakening. 
As  soon  as  the  day  broke  above  the  mountain-tops  the 
windows  began  to  glitter  and  shine  and  shoot  forth 
thousands  of  such  red,  yellow,  white,  and  green  rays, 
that  it  was  enough  to  awaken  the  dead.  Kuno  first 
rubbed  his  eyes,  and,  with  a  cry  of  admiration,  looked 
around.  He  had  just  been  dreaming  that  they  had 
gone  to  sleep,  as  before,  under  an  oak,  and  had  been 
awakened  by  the  dampness  of  the  moss  and  the  cold, 
sharp  morning  air.  All  the  more  charmed  was  he  to 
find  himself  actually  awake,  in  a  finer  and  softer  bed 
than  he  had  ever  slept  in  at  home.  As  for  Wolf, 
who  had  never  imagined  such  luxury,  he  stretched 
and  turned  under  the  silken  counterpane,  and  could 
hardly  make  up  his  mind  to  get  out  of  bed.  But 
the  curiosity  which  the  many  wonderful  and  beautiful 
objects  around  excited  in  the  boys  would  not  let  them 
rest  any  longer.  They  sprang  up,  slipped  on  their 
clothes,  and  began  a  minute  examination  of  the  room. 
Everything  was  strangely  magnificent.  The  night  be- 
fore, the  darkness  had  prevented  their  seeing  much 


196 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


around  them,  so  now  they  were  all  the  more  amazed 
and  charmed. 

The  bedsteads  in  the  room  were  especially  remark- 
able. They  were  of  gold,  and  the  feet  represented 
beautiful  writhing  snakes  bearing  the  frame  upon  their 
heads.  After  the  two  children  had  gazed  their  fill, 
they  went  out  into  the  garden,  and,  if  they  had  ad- 
mired the  flowers  there  on  the  preceding  evening,  they 
were  enchanted  when  they  saw  them  in  the  light  of  the 
morning  sun.  Everything  was  so  splendid  that  each 
called  out  to  the  other  that  he  could  spend  his  life 
here.  The  slopes  of  the  mountains  surrounding  this 
valley  were  covered  with  the  freshest  green,  sparkling 
with  dewdrops  that  looked  like  diamonds  in  the  light 
of  the  morning  sun.  The  water  of  a  little  brook,  that 
tumbled  plashing  down  the  mountain -side,  was  col- 
lected in  a  marble  basin  below,  and  thence  flowed 
gently  through  the  lovely  garden. 

After  the  boys  had  refreshed  themselves  with  a. 
draught  of  water,  they  determined  to  explore  the  valley, 
to  find,  if  they  could,  the  owner  of  the  cottage.  They 
longed  to  ask  him  if  they  might  stay  in  this  lovely  spot, 
and  if  allowed  to  do  so,  were  ready  to  promise  to  keep 
the  garden  in  perfect  order  and  make  themselves  useful 
in  everyway.  With  this  intention  Kuno  took  the  tank- 
ard under  his  arm,  and  they  both  left  the  garden.  They 
followed  the  course  of  the  brook,  which  ran  for  a  short 
distance  through  green  meadows  and  then  entered  the 
grove  that  extended  through  the  larger  part  of  the 
valley.  The  boys  were  so  invigorated  by  their  sound 
night's  sleep  that  they  sang  and  shouted.  Besides, 
they  hoped  thus  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  master 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


197 


of  the  house,  who  might  be  walking  in  the  grove.  It 
seemed  to  them  at  first  rather  strange  that  there  were 
no  birds  here  to  reply  to  their  singing.  They  stopped 
and  listened  every  little  while,  but  echo  alone  answered 
their  shouts.  They  went  on  and  on,  until  the  wood 
began  to  grow  less  dense,  and  Wolf  thought  that  he 
could  see  in  the  distance  the  shimmer  of  the  lake 
which  they  had  observed  the  day  before  from  the  top 
of  the  tree.  They  hurried  on,  and  soon  discovered 
that  they  were  not  mistaken,  for  when  they  issued  from 
the  grove  they  found  themselves  on  the  brink  of  a 
large  lake,  the  waters  of  which  were  coal-black  and 
looked  very  gloomy.  No  ripple  stirred  its  surface, 
and,  although  it  was  summer-time,  it  looked  as  though 
it  were  frozen.  Even  when  the  wind  blew  down  a 
yellow  leaf  from  the  surrounding  trees,  it  did  not  rest 
upon  the  water,  but  skimmed  along  its  glassy  surface, 
stopping  only  when  it  reached  the  land. 

The  two  boys  seated  themselves  upon  the  shore, 
on  a  mossy  stone,  not  knowing  what  to  think  of  all 
this.  Wolf,  who  had  often  listened  at  home  to  mys- 
terious tales, — told  by  the  squires  and  men-at-arms, — 
of  enchanted  countries,  water-witches,  and  fairies, 
suggested  that  they  were  in  one  of  these  enchanted 
places, — a  supposition  not  particularly  agreeable  to 
either  of  them.  They  began  to  be  afraid,  and,  al- 
though their  surroundings  looked  pleasant  enough, 
they  gazed  about  them  with  suspicion  and  mistrust. 
The  quiet  that  reigned  around,  the  black  water, 
even  the  beautiful  dwelling  in  which  they  had  slept, 
seemed  strange  and  fearful  to  them  now,  for  Wolf  re- 
membered a  story  in  which  the  ogre,  who  devoured 
17* 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


people,  was  accustomed  to  tempt  little  children  within 
his  domains  by  means  of  just  such  things,  that  he  might 
make  a  meal  of  them  afterwards. 

With  these  thoughts,  the  two  boys  sat  there  sadly 
enough  and  gazed  into  the  water,  which,  although 
black,  was  tolerably  transparent.  They  leaned  over 
the  stone  and  looked  down  for  a  long  time,  and  Kuno, 
who  held  his  tankard  tight  in  his  arms,  was  the  first  to 
discover  something  beneath  the  surface  of  the  lake. 
He  thought  he  could  see  walls  and  roofs,  and  even  a 
stately  castle,  down  there,  far  larger  and  more  beautiful 
than  his  father's.  Then  Wolf  looked  too,  and  thought 
he  could  see  the  same.  And,  as  they  both  had  good 
strong  sight,  they  soon  found  that  they  had  not  been 
mistaken.  There  really  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake 
a  large  and  splendid  castle,  with  lofty  walls  and  towers, 
which  they  could  see  at  last  as  distinctly  as  one  sees 
objects  through  a  thin  mist.  This  discovery  was  not 
calculated,  however,  to  allay  their  fears.  On  the  con- 
trary, they  saw  clearly  that  they  were  actually  in  an 
enchanted  valley,  and  they  fully  believed  that  the  cot- 
tage in  which  they  had  slept  was  the  home  of  the 
magician,  who  meant  to  entrap  and  devour  them. 

Although  these  thoughts  were  not  likely  to  attract 
them  to  the  little  house,  yet  it  was  with  them  as  it  often 
is  with  men,  who,  instead  of  avoiding  and  fleeing  from 
some  terrible  object,  are  continually  impelled  by  a 
shuddering  kind  of  curiosity  to  approach  it.  They 
got  up  and  went  back  along  the  brookside  until  they 
again  saw  the  cottage  where  they  had  passed  the  night. 
They  peered  anxiously  around,  fearful  of  discovering 
some  horror  behind  every  tree  and  bush ;  but  no,  they 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


199 


encountered  nothing  terrible.  The  cottage  stood,  just 
as  peaceful  as  ever,  before  them,  and  within  it  all  was 
unchanged.  They  entered,  and  searched  every  corner 
of  their  sleeping-room,  to  find  some  entrance  to  an- 
other apartment,  for  the  smallness  of  their  room  did 
not  accord  with  the  size  of  the  house  as  seen  from 
without.  But,  although  they  tried  their  best  to  discover 
the  crack  of  some  concealed  door  in  the  beautiful, 
smooth  walls,  their  trouble  was  of  no  avail,  they  could 
find  nothing.  After  they  had  busied  themselves  for 
awhile  in  the  garden  weeding  the  beds  and  tying  up 
the  flower-stalks  which  the  wind  had  blown  down,  the 
evening  came  on,  and  the  two  boys  again  betook  them- 
selves to  rest,  with  very  anxious  hearts,  for  they  were 
afraid  that  the  magician  would  appear  in  the  night 
and  put  an  end  to  their  lives.  But  their  fears  were 
unfounded, — they  slept  quietly  and  soundly  all  night 
long  in  the  silken  beds,  and  were  first  awakened  the 
next  morning  by  the  dazzling  rays  of  the  sun  shining 
through  the  brilliant  window-panes. 

They  arose  briskly,  and  their  fears  of  finding  them- 
selves in  the  power  of  a  sorcerer  began  to  diminish. 
In  the  absence  of  all  other  nourishment  they  applied 
themselves  to  their  tankard,  which  did  not  fail  them, 
but  refreshed  and  satisfied  them  in  the  most  wonderful 
manner.  Then  they  went  hand  in  hand  to  explore  the 
valley  again.  This  time  they  did  not  turn  towards 
the  black  lake,  but  tried  to  ascend  the  mountains 
forming  the  wall  around  the  valley.  At  first  they 
thought  they  had  discovered  a  path  leading  upwards, 
but  when  they  had  pursued  it  for  a  hundred  paces 
it  turned  and  led  down  again,  and  thus  it  was  with 


200 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


a  second  and  a  third  path  which  they  found.  Then 
they  tried  to  ascend  by  climbing  through  the  trees 
and  bushes,  but  here  some  gigantic,  fallen  tree  would 
bar  their  way,  and  there  they  would  find  themselves  right 
against  a  perpendicular  mass  of  rock.  Thus  they  laboured 
on  for  several  hours,  and  at  last  were  obliged  to  turn 
back,  resolving,  as  they  had  not  succeeded  in  this 
attempt,  to  find  a  way  around  the  lake,  that  they  might 
explore  its  other  side. 

As  well  as  they  could  see  from  the  shore,  where  they 
sat  yesterday,  this  lake  stretched  far  into  the  valley, 
but  any  extended  view  was  made  impossible  by  a 
thick  growth  of  trees  and  bushes,  through  which  the 
water  was  gleaming  here  and  there.  They  turned 
towards  the  left  side  of  the  lake,  hoping  to  find  a  path 
along  its  margin,  but  here  they  met  with  countless  diffi- 
culties. The  steep  boundaries  of  the  valley  ascended 
sheer  from  the  water's  edge,  leaving  only  a  hand's- 
breadth  of  ground  to  walk  upon,  and  then  in  places 
huge  masses  of  rock  overhung  the  lake  itself,  so  that 
the  boys  soon  found  that  they  must  give  up  all  hope 
of  continuing  their  explorations  on  this  side.  As  it 
was  beginning  to  grow  dark  again,  they  determined  to 
try  the  other  side  the  next  day,  and  turned  back  to 
their  cottage  to  pass  the  third  night  there. 

The  evening  was  exquisitely  fine,  and  the  two  boys, 
excited  by  the  ill  success  of  their  voyages  of  discovery, 
found  it  impossible  to  go  directly  to  bed  when  they 
reached  home.  The  sun  sank  behind  the  mountains, 
and  soon  the  moon  arose  on  the  other  side  of  the 
heavens  and  peeped  through  the  dark  firs  down  into 
the  valley,  as  though  longing  to  discover  whither  the 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


201 


sun,  her  faithless  lover  whom  she  pursues  so  constantly, 
had  fled.  In  this  never-ending  pursuit  the  poor  pale 
face  of  the  moon  blushed  red,  and  her  colour  vanished 
only  when  she  was  high  enough  above  the  mountains 
to  see  that  the  sun  was  not  hidden  in  the  valley,  and 
that  all  her  pains  to  reach  him  were  in  vain. 

The  two  children  sat  down  upon  a  grassy  knoll  be- 
hind the  house,  and  thought  of  their  homes  and  of  their 
dear  parents  and  friends  now  lost  to  them  forever. 
They  talked  over  all  their  last  days  at  the  castle,  and 
amused  themselves  with  recalling  to  each  other's  re- 
membrance every  trifling  incident  that  either  could 
recollect.  They  described  to  each  other  the  tumult 
and  noise  of  the  siege,  and  Kuno  told  his  companion 
how  great  had  been  his  terror  when  he  first  saw  the  red 
reflection  of  the  flames  upon  his  window-panes.  Thus 
they  sat,  looking  now  through  the  valley  shaded  by 
thick  trees  from  the  moon's  rays,  and  now  at  the  moon 
itself  quietly  ascending  the  dark  concave  of  the  night. 
Suddenly  they  seemed  to  hear  sounding  from  the  shores 
of  the  lake  a  low,  tinkling  echo,  as  though  some  one 
were  passing  his  finger  around  the  edge  of  a  wine-glass, 
or  as  though  small  silver  bells  were  chiming.  As  they 
had  never  before  heard  the  slightest  sound  in  the  valley, 
they  listened  to  this  strange  music  with  the  keenest 
attention.  It  seemed  to  come  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
its  tones  grew  louder  and  more  distinct.  But,  although 
they  both  tried  to  see  what  could  cause  this  music, 
they  could  discover  nothing.  At  last  Kuno  motioned 
to  his  companion  to  be  quiet,  and  pointed  down  into 
the  valley  before  them,  where  something  shining  was 
issuing  from  beneath  the  trees  that  bordered  the  lake. 


202 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


It  was  as  if  two  shining,  fiery  threads  were  approaching 
slowly  through  the  grass.  Wolf  looked,  and  was  not  a 
little  terrified,  for,  as  his  eyes  were  sharper  than  his 
friend's,  he  soon  discovered  two  little  snakes,  glitter- 
ing and  sparkling  in  the  most  extraordinary  manner. 
As  they  moved  on  through  the  grass  the  music  sounded 
which  they  had  heard  before,  and  which  now  seemed 
to  be  caused  by  the  rustling  of  thefr  serpent-forms  along 
the  ground.  Soon  these  two  strange  creatures  had 
entirely  emerged  from  the  trees,  and  the  boys  could 
see  them  more  distinctly.  They  really  were  two  snakes, 
but  not  nearly  so  frightful  and  ugly  as  such  creatures 
usually  are.  They  glided  along  easily  and  gracefully, 
now  raising  their  heads  as  if  to  look  about  them, 
and  now  lowering  them  that  they  might  slip  through 
the  grass,  seeming  to  delight  in  the  music  which  they- 
made, — for,  although  there  was  no  particular  time  kept 
in  it,  it  accorded  melodiously  with  every  twist  and  turn 
of  their  bodies. 

Although  the  boys  were  very  much  afraid  at  first, 
they  could  not  help  being  pleased  with  the  two  shining 
creatures.  They  watched  with  great  interest  their 
movements  through  the  dark  grass.  Shortly  they 
turned  and  approached  the  garden  which  surrounded 
the  little  house.  They  touched  the  coral  fence,  went 
through  the  little  gate,  and  vanished  within  the  cot- 
tage. This  the  boys  had  not  expected,  and  they 
looked  at  each  other  with  surprise,  thinking  that  it 
was  not  right  that  the  cold  snakes  should  take  posses- 
sion of  the  pretty  little  house.  In  the  mean  time  it 
occurred  to  Wolf  that  perhaps  the  creatures  had  a 
bet  :er  right  to  the  dwelling  than  they  themselves  had, 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


203 


and  he  called  to  mind  a  story  in  which  some  swans 
had  a  little  house  in  the  middle  of  a  pond,  furnished 
with  beds  and  everything  comfortable,  and  where  they 
slept  at  night. 

Filled  with  this  idea,  the  boys  became  so  curious 
that,  in  spite  of  their  dread  of  some  wicked  magician 
who  might  work  them  harm,  they  got  up  and  crept 
upon  tiptoe  as  softly  as  possible  towards  the  house,  to 
see  what  the  two  snakes  were  doing  there.  After  many 
fruitless  attempts  to  find  it,  the  coral  gate  opened  as 
usual  when  Kuno  touched  it  by  chance  with  the  copper 
tankard.  They  slipped  through  the  garden  and  placed 
themselves  where  they  could  look  in  at  one  of  the  win- 
dows. They  then  saw  tne  two  snakes  lift  up  their  heads 
against  the  marble  wall  of  the  room,  when  a  door  sud- 
denly opened  which  led  into  another,  far  more  splendid 
and  magnificent  than  the  first.  Here  the  walls  were  of 
pure  gold,  and,  as  there  were  no  windows  to  let  in  the 
light,  a  ruby  as  big  as  a  man's  fist  was  suspended  from  the 
ceiling,  shedding  a  deep  purple  but  very  brilliant  light 
over  the  little  room,  by  which  they  could  see  that  the 
place  was  filled  with  all  kinds  of  beautiful  furniture. 
There  were  little  tables  and  arm-chairs,  and  wash- 
basins and  goblets,  all  made  of  metal,  adorned  with 
many  beautifully-engraved  figures.  The  idea  occurred 
to  Wolf  that  the  tankard  which  Kuno  was  carrying 
matched  the  things  in  this  room  exceedingly  well, 
for  upon  the  table  there  was  a  vessel  very  much  like 
it,  only  not  so  large  and  handsome. 

The  snakes  glided  up  on  one  of  the  tables,  and  then 
slipped  into  a  wash-basin  filled  with  a  pink  fluid,  in 
which  they  bathed  themselves  for  awhile.    Then  they 


204 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


left  the  bowl  and  glided  down  to  the  floor  again.  As 
they  raised  themselves  against  each  other,  the  serpent- 
skins  fell  from  their  bodies,  and  they  were  transformed 
into  two  beautiful  young  girls  of  from  ten  to  twelve  years 
old,  who  fell  into  each  other's  arms,  weeping  loudly. 

The  two  boys  beheld  this  transformation  with  the 
greatest  astonishment.  That  there  was  magic  in  all  this 
they  saw  clearly,  but  they  were  far  more  delighted  than 
frightened.  The  two  girls  looked  so  amiable  and  lovely 
that  they  were  not  in  the  least  afraid  of  them.  They 
would  have  dearly  liked  to  go  to  them  and  find  out 
why  they  had  been  serpents  only  a  few  minutes  before. 
Kuno  was  especially  desirous  to  enter  the  room  and 
speak  to  them,  but  Wolf  held  him  back,  reminding 
him  that  it  was  clearly  their  duty  to  go  quietly  away 
and  leave  the  two  princesses  (for  such  they  certainly 
were,  judging  from  the  little  gold  crowns  that  they 
had  on)  in  undisturbed  possession  of  the  house, 
which  belonged,  of  course,  far  more  to  them  than  to 
the  two  boys.  At  first  Kuno  could  hardly  tear  him- 
self away  from  the  window,  so  earnestly  was  he  ob- 
serving the  two  princesses,  who  now  left  the  small  room 
and  went  into  the  one  where  the  two  beds  were. 
There  they  sat  down  in  an  arm-chair,  with  their  arms 
around  each  other's  waists,  and  talked  very  seriously 
together,  while  they  shed  many  tears,  but  not  one  word 
of  what  they  said  could  the  boys  understand. 

After  they  had  sat  thus  for  awhile,  they  embraced 
and  kissed  each  other,  and  then  each  slipped  into  one 
of  the  beds  in  which  the  boys  had  slept  the  night  be- 
fore. As  just  at  this  moment  the  moon,  which  had 
illumined  the  bedroom  with  its  clear  rays,  sank  behind 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


205 


the  mountains,  the  little  house  grew  very  dark,  and  the 
boys  could  see  nothing  more.  In  great  amazement  at 
the  occurrences  of  the  evening,  they  left  the  garden, 
that  they  might  not  disturb  the  little  mistresses  of  the 
house,  and  lay  down  at  the  edge  of  the  thicket,  re- 
solving firmly  to  awake  at  daybreak  and  see  what  would 
become  of  the  two  snakes,  or  rather  of  the  two  prin- 
cesses. But  they  slept  very  soundly.  Whether  because 
they  had  walked  about  a  great  deal,  or  because  the 
guardian  angel  who  watches  over  orphan  children  had 
not  thought  it  best  that  they  should  carry  out  their 
intention,  and  so  made  their  eyelids  heavy,  we  can- 
not say  j — when  they  awoke  the  sun  was  high  in  the 
heavens,  and,  upon  hurrying  to  the  house,  they  found 
it  just  as  empty  as  on  the  first  day  that  they  had 
entered  it. 

They  examined  everything  most  carefully,  the  beds, 
the  chairs,  the  drawers  of  the  table,  but  after  the  most 
diligent  search  they  could  find  no  trace  of  the  prin- 
cesses nor  of  the  door  leading  to  the  next  room. 

They  wandered  sadly  about,  both  repenting  their 
modesty  on  the  preceding  evening,  and  wishing  that 
they  had  knocked  at  the  window  and  represented  them- 
selves as  two  poor  boys  who  had  gone  astray  in  this 
place,  which  they  had  never  seen  before.  But  as  they 
hoped  to  see  the  two  beautiful  snakes  again  some  future 
evening,  they  determined  to  wait  patiently,  and,  as 
what  was  done  could  not  be  undone,  they  began  anew 
their  exploration  of  the  valley.  They  went  to  the  lake 
and  attempted  to  walk  along  its  margin  towards  the 
)eft.  They  succeeded  much  better  than  when,  the  day 
before,  they  had  pursued  the  other  direction.  They 

18 


2o6 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


found  a  convenient  pathway,  and  followed  it  untii 
they  reached  the  farthest  spot  which  had  been  visible 
from  the  head  of  the  lake,  and  there,  as  they  had  sus- 
pected, the  water  became  hidden  among  the  trees. 
The  lake  grew  much  narrower,  and  formed  here  a 
long  angle,  around  which  the  boys  could  not  get,  for 
the  path  suddenly  ceased  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  mass 
of  rock  which  they  were  unable  to  climb,  and  which 
prevented  their  advancing  one  step. 

After  making  several  vain  attempts  to  scramble  up 
this  rocky  wall,  while  they  were  looking  anxiously 
about  them,  Wolf  discovered  a  little  flight  of  stairs 
leading  directly  down  to  the  lake,  and  at  its  foot  a 
skiff  lay  moored.  Much  as  the  boys  desired  to  enter 
the  boat,  that  they  might  pursue  their  explorations 
with  its  aid,  dread  of  the  black  water  at  first  deterred 
them  from  such  an  undertaking.  Kuno,  especially, 
deprecated  such  a  step,  for  the  castle  at  the  bottom  of 
the  lake  seemed  to  him  more  fearful  and  strange  than 
the  colour  of  the  water. 

"Only  suppose,  dear  Wolf,"  said  he,  "that  we  were 
to  sail  upon  this  black  water,  and  that  one  of  the  castle 
gates  down  there  should  open,  and  that  a  horseman 
should  ascend,  and  ask  us  who  we  were,  and  what  we 
wanted.  Or  suppose  the  skiff  should  suddenly  sink, 
and  we  should  fall  down  there  among  all  those  people 
who  are  perhaps  within  the  castle,  enchanted  forever." 

At  first  Wolf  gave  heed  to  these  warnings,but,  as  he 
had  set  his  heart  upon  reaching  the  other  shore  of  the 
lake  and  seeing  if  there  were  not  some  human  beings 
there,  he  gradually  converted  his  friend  to  his  pro- 
posal and  persuaded  him  to  take  a  sail  upon  the 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


207 


water.  Thus,  after  much  discussion,  they  descended 
the  steps  and  seated  themselves  in  the  boat,  but  they 
attempted  for  a  long  time  in  vain  to  loosen  the  chain  by 
which  it  was  fastened  with  a  padlock  to  the  steps.  At 
last  Kuno,  who  sat  in  the  stern  of  the  little  skiff,  in 
making  a  fresh  attempt  to  unfasten  the  lock,  touched 
the  chain  with  the  tankard,  which  he  was  carrying,  and 
instantly  the  chain  parted  and  left  the  boat  free  upon 
the  water.  Now,  Wolf  had  often  seen  the  servants  at 
home,  when  they  wished  to  glide  close  by  the  shore  of 
the  pond,  without  oars,  that  they  might  draw  in  the 
nets  that  had  been  set  for  fish,  help  their  boat  through 
the  water  by  seizing  the  bushes  and  boughs  of  the  trees 
that  grew  overhead,  and  pulling  themselves  along. 
When  the  chain  parted,  he  tried  to  imitate  them,  but 
in  making  the  attempt  he  almost  fell  into  the  water, 
for  no  sooner  was  the  boat  set  free  than  it  turned  away 
from  the  shore,  and,  without  sail  or  oar,  suddenly  shot 
out  into  the  middle  of  the  lake.  In  vain  did  they  try  to 
stop  it  by  calling  to  it  to  stand  still,  as  one  would  to 
an  unruly  steed,  shouting,  in  their  fright,  with  all  their 
strength.  Wolf,  in  especial,  when  he  felt  himself  thus 
borne  away,  first  entreated  the  boat  most  politely, 
and  then  ordered  it  in  the  harshest  terms,  to  turn 
around  instantly  or  to  stop.  In  vain ;  they  darted 
rapidly  onwards.  They  soon  passed  the  place  where 
the  lake  grew  narrower,  and,  sailing  around  the  rocky 
wall  which  had  impeded  their  progress  on  the  shore, 
they  saw  before  them  the  rest  of  the  lake,  which  was  as 
large  and  broad  as  the  other  half  behind  them. 

Although  the  skiff  moved  forwards  so  swiftly  upon 
the  water,  it  did  not  cleave  the  waves  with  its  prow, 


208 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


but  seemed  to  glide  over  the  surface  as  though  upon 
ice.  And  there  was  no  noise  of  water  plashing  against 
the  sides  of  the  boat,  or  murmuring  gently.  All  was 
silent  and  still.  At  first  the  boys  feared  that  when  they 
reached  the  middle  of  the  lake  its  shores  would  retreat, 
leaving  them  upon  a  boundless,  lonely  sea.  But  it  was 
not  so, — the  shores  kept  their  places,  and  the  boys  dis- 
covered that  they  were  steering  towards  an  island  which 
seemed  to  lie  near  the  other  end  of  the  black  pond. 
This  island  could  not  be  very  large,  and  yet  the  trees 
and  bushes  upon  its  banks  appeared  to  be  impenetrable. 
Trees  upon  trees,  with  their  thick  foliage,  formed  a 
green  wall,  and  between  their  trunks  grew  low  under- 
brush, weaving  them  together.  The  children  soon  saw 
that  there  was  a  little  flight  of  steps  here  too,  leading 
down  to  the  water,  and  thither  the  boat  directed  its 
course.  It  soon  reached  the  shore,  and,  pushing 
through  the  boughs  and  bushes  that  grew  over  the 
water,  touched  the  steps,  alongside  of  which  it  lay  per 
fectly  motionless. 

Wolf,  who  was  the  first  to  recover  from  his  astonish- 
ment and  terror,  sprang  upon  the  shore  and  helped 
out  his  comrade,  who,  now  that  the  adventure  seemed 
likely  to  end  without  danger  of  any  kind,  enjoyed 
it  mightily,  and  laughed  at  their  involuntary  sail. 
They  held  a  consultation  as  to  what  was  to  be  done, 
and  Kuno  thought  that  the  best  thing  would  be  to 
speak  very  politely  and  encouragingly  to  the  little 
vessel,  that  it  might  turn  round  and  carry  them  back 
whence  they  came,  as  there  could  not  be  anything  very 
remarkable  upon  this  island.  Wolf,  on  the  contrary, 
was  of  opinion  that  they  should  penetrate  to  its  in- 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


209 


terior.  He  could  not  suppose  it  likely  that  the  skiff 
had  brought  them  so  far  against  their  will  without 
some  good  purpose.  He  induced  his  friend  to  walk 
along  the  shore,  in  hopes  of  finding  some  opening 
through  the  bushes.  They  passed  around  the  island 
several  times,  examining  the  wall  of  foliage  very  mi- 
nutely, to  find  some  little  hole  through  which  they 
might  slip,  but  none  could  be  found.  Some  magic  must 
have  been  at  work,  for  it  certainly  seemed  as  though 
the  trees  interwove  themselves  more  thickly  when 
either  of  the  two  children  tried  to  creep  through. 

While  engaged  in  this  search,  it  became  noonday. 
The  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens,  and  the  boys  sat 
down  on  the  shore  of  the  island  to  rest  after  their 
exertions.  They  were  very  hungry  and  thirsty.  As 
there  was  no  brook  near  to  supply  their  need,  Wolf 
proposed  that  they  should  for  once  try  the  water  of 
the  lake.  He  filled  the  tankard  and  took  a  good  drink, 
and,  when  he  found  that  the  water  was  cool  and  pleas- 
ant, he  handed  it  to  Kuno,  who,  however,  could  not 
bring  himself  to  put  it  to  his  lips.  When  he  thought 
of  the  castle  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  in  which,  per- 
haps, men  were  lying  spell-bound  at  that  very  minute, 
he  declared  that  he  would  rather  die  of  hunger  than  taste 
such  water.  So  he  took  the  tankard  and  threw  its  con- 
tents out  among  the  bushes.  But  how  shall  we  describe 
his  astonishment,  when  he  saw  that  wherever  the  water 
touched  the  boughs  and  foliage,  they  opened,  leaving  a 
free  passage  between  them  !  The  boys  sprang  up,  and, 
after  convincing  themselves  that  this  wonder  had  really 
taken  place,  Wolf  boldly  entered  the  path  thus  formed, 
and  Kuno  followed  him. 

o  18* 


210 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


They  went  on  for  a  few  steps  among  the  trees,  which 
grew  here  very  irregularly.  But  they  soon  found  before 
them  a  pathway,  on  either  side  of  which  were  groups  of 
plants  and  bushes,  whose  arrangement  showed  clearly 
that  they  owed  their  position  there  to  art.  They  fol 
lowed  this  path,  which  led  to  the  interior  of  the  island, 
and  soon,  leaving  the  thick  underbrush  behind  them, 
came  out  upon  a  grassy  plain,  at  sight  of  which  they 
both  gave  a  cry  of  wonder,  and  stood  as  if  rooted  to 
the  spot.  There  in  the  midst  of  this  plain  was  a 
large  table,  at  which  sat  twenty  or  thirty  men,  who, 
although  they  seemed  to  be  in  the  midst  of  conversa- 
tion and  laughter,  were  all  stiff  and  motionless.  At 
first  the  boys  thought  that  their  sudden  appearance  had 
startled  the  company  and  held  them  motionless  for  a 
few  seconds.  Kuno  turned  to  run,  but  Wolf  held  him 
back,  and  continued  to  stare  at  this  strange  sight  with 
wide-open  eyes.  Nothing  stirred,  and  the  figures  sat 
there  as  if  hewn  out  of  stone.  Wolf,  whose  courage 
soon  returned,  first  made  a  slight  noise,  then  coughed, 
and  cleared  his  throat  loudly,  and,  finding  that  the 
men  paid  no  attention,  he  shouted  aloud,  "Halloo! 
halloo!"  and  Kuno  joined  in  lustily.  But  nothing 
stirred. 

When  the  boys  found,  to  their  joy,  that  all  their  ex- 
ertions to  arouse  the  motionless  assembly  were  in  vain, 
they  stepped  up  cautiously  to  the  table,  to  examine 
the  strange  company  more  closely.  It  seemed  as 
though  some  assemblage  of  brave  knights  had  been 
overtaken  by  an  evil  spell  in  the  midst  of  a  banquet, 
and  turned  to  stone.  At  the  head  of  the  table,  upon 
which  stood  bowls,  goblets,  and  beakers  of  mighty  di- 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


211 


mensions,  sat  a  stately  old  man  in  magnificent  armour, 
with  a  crown  upon  his  head,  and  behind  him  stood  two 
pages,  to  one  of  whom  he  seemed  to  be  giving  some 
command,  while  the  other  was  handing  him  a  goblet 
of  wine.  There  was  an  expression  so  serious,  and  at 
the  same  time  so  kindly,  in  the  old  man's  face,  that  it 
must  have  inspired  every  one  with  confidence,  and  the 
two  boys  were  sorry  indeed  that  he  was  just  as  stiff  and 
stony  as  the  rest,  and  could  give  them  no  gentle  answer 
or  look.  The  knights  who  sat  upon  his  right  and  left 
hand  seemed  to  be  absorbed  in  earnest  conversation. 
Some  had  just  seized  a  goblet  with  one  hand,  while 
they  leaned  with  the  other  upon  the  table  or  the  hilts 
of  their  swords,  gazing  earnestly,  meanwhile,  into  each 
other's  faces;  and  these  faces,  although  they  were 
cold  and  stiff,  wore  such  meaning  expressions  that  one 
could  easily  tell  which  had  been  speaking  and  which 
listening. 

There  sat  two,  with  their  arms  upon  each  other's 
shoulders,  gazing  into  the  air.  The  expression  upon 
their  faces  was  one  of  uncommon  joviality,  and  one 
could  readily  believe,  seeing  their  laughing,  half-opened 
mouths,  that  a  jolly  drinking-song  was  just  coming 
from  their  lips.  The  two  boys  passed,  wondering, 
around  the  table,  and  as  they  came  behind  the  old  man 
with  the  crown  they  noticed  that  on  either  side  of  him 
were  two  carved  chairs,  which  were,  however,  empty. 
Kuno,  who  was  not  so  stout-hearted  as  Wolf,  was  still 
a  little  afraid  to  go  quite  close  to  the  company,  and 
was  continually  retreating  to  the  bushes  that  bordered 
the  plain.  But  suddenly  he  started  back  with  a  loud 
cry,  for  he  discovered,  under  the  trees,  a  large  dog 


212 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


sitting,  while  two  horses,  held  by  their  bridles  by  a 
squire,  were  looking  down  at  him.  Wolf  hastened 
towards  them,  and  soon  found  that  these  horses  and 
many  more  under  the  trees,  with  dogs  and  squires, 
were  as  stiff  and  stony  as  their  masters. 

In  the  closer  examination  of  everything,  which  even 
Kuno  was  at  last  emboldened  to  make,  they  noticed  at 
the  foot  of  the  table  a  couple  of  forms  that  especially 
attracted  their  attention.  These  were  two  rather  elderly 
men,  one  of  whom  was  looking  searchingly  towards  the 
lake,  with  an  expression  of  horror  upon  his  earnest 
features.  One  hand  he  held  to  his  ear  as  though  more 
clearly  to  distinguish  some  sound,  and  with  the  other 
he  touched  the  shoulder  of  the  man  next  to  him  to 
excite  his  attention.  The  latter,  however,  did  not 
heed  him,  but  sat  leaning  back  in  his  chair,  emptying, 
apparently  with  much  satisfaction,  a  huge  can  which  he 
held  to  his  lips. 

Wolf  and  Kuno  looked  long  at  these  two  figures,  and 
exhausted  themselves  in  guessing  what  could  so  have 
excited  the  attention  of  one  of  these  old  lords.  Kuno 
looked  over  his  shoulder  in  the  same  direction  in 
which  the  old  lord  was  gazing,  hoping  to  see  some- 
thing that  might  have  attracted  his  gaze.  But  he  could 
see  nothing  except  the  black  mirror  of  the  lake.  In 
the  mean  time  Wolf  was  observing  the  other  lord 
closely,  and  lamenting  that  he  should  have  been  dis- 
turbed just  in  the  midst  of  his  drinking.  He  made 
many  ridiculous  speeches  about  him,  and  maintained 
that  he  must  have  been  the  thirstiest  of  the  party. 

And  now  the  fear  which  had  at  first  overpowered  the 
boys  vanished  entirely,  and,  as  they  could  not  deter- 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


213 


mine  whether  these  figures  had  been  chiselled  out  of 
stone  by  some  great  sculptor,  or  changed  thus  by  magic 
art,  they  troubled  themselves  no  longer  about  it,  but 
were  entertained  for  awhile  with  an  examination  of  the 
strange  weapons,  drinking-cups,  dresses,  and,  at  last, 
even  the  horses  and  dogs.  Wolf  grew  very  courageous, 
and  mounted  upon  a  war-horse,  and,  when  Kuno  saw 
how  brave  and  grand  he  looked,  he  mounted  another, 
and  they  both  shouted  for  joy.  After  they  had  urged 
their  horses  to  step  out,  by  shouting  and  spurring  them 
with  their  heels  (great  would  have  been  their  terror 
had  they  budged  an  inch),  they  got  down,  and  went 
on  with  their  examination.  They  seated  themselves  in 
the  two  empty  chairs  at  the  head  of  the  table,  but 
soon  left  them,  for  the  face  of  the  old  man  with  the 
crown  looked  down  upon  them  with  too  reverend  an  air 
for  any  levity  on  their  part.  Then  they  wandered  again 
around  the  table,  and  Wolf,  standing  before  the  lord 
who  was  drinking,  laughingly  proposed  that  they  should 
pour  some  water  into  his  goblet,  that  he  might  quench 
his  thirst.  Kuno  thought  this  a  most  excellent  idea, 
and,  running  down  to  the  lake  with  his  tankard,  filled 
it  with  water.  Then  Wolf  took  it,  and,  standing  upon 
tiptoe,  poured  it  into  the  goblet,  so  that,  in  the  position 
in  which  the  knight  held  his  can,  the  water  touched 
his  lips.  In  delight  at  the  success  of  their  attempt,  the 
boys  laughed  loudly.  But  suddenly  Wolf's  merriment 
ceased,  and  he  stared  wildly  at  the  knight's  coun- 
tenance, and  the  laughter  died  away  upon  Kuno's  lips, 
and,  with  a  loud  shriek,  he  threw  himself  into  Wolf's 
arms. 

Who  shall  describe  their  fright  when  they  saw  the 


214 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


lips  in  the  cold  stone  face  open  and  greedily  drink  the 
water  which  Wolf  had  poured  into  the  goblet,  while 
the  eyes,  before  so  lifeless,  grew  bright  and  beaming 
and  animated  by  a  strange  expression !  As  the  water 
flowed  down  his  throat,  the  breast  of  the  stone  figure 
began  to  heave,  and  life  trembled  in  every  limb  of  the 
body.  The  old  knight  drew  a  couple  of  deep  sighs, 
with  a  sobbing  sound,  and  placed  the  goblet  slowly 
upon  the  table.  Then  he  turned  his  head  and  looked 
with  astonishment  at  his  neighbour,  whose  cold  hand 
of  stone,  resting  upon  his  shoulder,  he  felt  and  pressed, 
with  every  sign  of  wonder. 

The  two  boys,  in  their  amazement,  dropped  upon 
their  knees,  and  looked  up  into  the  knight's  coun- 
tenance with  pale  faces  and  clasped  hands,  which,  with 
the  dumb  movement  of  their  lips,  implored  forgiveness 
for  their  insolent  act,  although  fear  deprived  them  of 
utterance.  The  newly-revived  knight,  after  he  had 
looked  round  upon  the  whole  company  with  the  same 
wonder  with  which  he  had  regarded  his  next  neighbour, 
noticed  the  two  kneeling  children,  and  started  up  from 
his  chair,  with  a  loud  cry  of  wonder.  Wolf,  who  now 
saw  that  they  had  really  done  no  very  great  harm  in 
converting  a  block  of  stone  into  a  fine,  living  man, 
collected  himself,  and  told  the  knight,  in  a  few  words, 
who  they  were,  and  what  they  had  been  doing,  up  to 
the  moment  when  they  had  quite  accidentally  recalled 
him  to  life.  The  knight  stared  at  them  with  as- 
tonishment, and  listened  to  their  story  with  the  same 
wonder  with  which  he  inspired  them.  When  they 
mentioned  the  tankard,  he  approached  them,  and  when 
Kuno  showed  it  and  handed  it  to  him,  the  old  knight 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


215 


uttered  a  loud  exclamation  of  delight,  and,  snatching 
first  the  boys  and  then  the  tankard  to  his  breast,  he 
cried  out,  while  the  tears  ran  down  his  gray  beard, 
"Now  all  our  woes  will  end!" 

Unwilling  as  Kuno  was  to  part  with  his  tankard,  he 
gave  it  at  once  to  the  knight,  who  hung  it  upon  his  arm, 
and,  as  the  evening  was  drawing  on,  told  the  boys  to 
follow  him.  They  all  three  went  down  to  the  place  on 
the  shore  of  the  island  where  the  boat  was  lying, 
descended  the  steps  and  seated  themselves  in  the  skiff, 
which  instantly  turned  around  and,  without  the  help  of 
rudder  or  sail,  glided  quickly  in  the  direction  whence 
the  boys  had  come  in  the  morning.  They  soon  reached 
the  other  shore,  got  out,  and  led  the  knight  to  the  spot 
where  they  could  plainly  see  the  castle  beneath  the 
waters  of  the  lake.  There  they  sat  down,  and  the  old 
knight  looked  into  the  water  for  a  long  time,  and  beck- 
oned joyfully  down  into  the  depths.  "Yes,"  cried  he, 
aloud,  "you  poor  wretches  below  there  will  soon  be 
released, — the  old  castle  will  ascend  from  this  black 
water  and  reign  over  the  valley  around,  as  of  old." 
Wolf  and  Kuno,  who  listened  attentively  to  the 
knight's  words,  were  very  curious  to  know  what  con- 
nection he  had  with  the  castle  below,  and  Wolf  took 
courage,  and  asked  him. 

The  knight  looked  thoughtfully  into  the  lake  for 
awhile  longer,  as  though  he  were  searching  for  some- 
thing there,  and  then,  turning  to  the  boys,  told  them 
the  history  of  the  castle,  in  the  following  words: 

"The  valley,  in  which  we  are,  belonged,  some  time 
ago,  to  King  Dagobert,  whom  you  saw  sitting  at  the 
table  upon  the  island  yonder,  with  his  crown  upon  his 


2l6 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


head.  He  lived  contented  and  happy  in  his  castle, 
which  was  not  then,  as  now,  at  the  bottom  of  this  lake, 
but  was  beauti  fully  situated  in  this  valley,  among  the 
surrounding  mountains,  in  the  midst  of  beautiful  gar- 
dens and  fruitful  fields.  The  king  was  contented  and 
happy  indeed,  for  he  possessed  everything  to  make  life 
pleasant.  Unfortunately,  his  wife  died,  but  before  her 
death  she  bore  him  two  daughters,  by  whose  cradles 
there  luckily  stood  two  of  those  powerful  beings  called 
Fairies.  They  took  the  place  of  a  mother  to  the  little 
princesses,  and  nurtured  them  so  carefully  that  they 
grew  up,  the  perfection  of  health  and  rare  beauty.  In- 
stead of  the  gold,  silver,  and  jewels  with  which,  as 
godmothers,  they  might  have  presented  them,  they  en- 
dowed one  of  the  fountains  in  the  court-yard  of  the 
castle  with  wonderful  virtue,  and  made  its  waters  so 
efficacious  that  it  cured  all  sickness  of  every  descrip- 
tion, and  even  defied  the  power  of  old  age,  for,  although 
the  bloom  of  youth  did  not  return  to  the  aged  who 
quaffed  it,  they  were  enabled  to  live  in  perfect  health 
for  many  years  longer.  They  also  bestowed  upon  their 
favourites  a  copper  tankard — the  same  which  I  have 
just  obtained  again  through  your  assistance — to  hold 
this  healing  water.  When  the  two  princesses  were 
tolerably  well  grown,  these  powerful  protectors  were 
obliged,  at  their  queen's  command,  to  leave  the  valley, 
and  did  not  conceal  from  the  king  that  the  care  and 
attention  which  they  had  bestowed  upon  his  daughters 
had  attracted  the  notice  of  a  mighty  but  evil  spirit, 
who  made  it  his  business  to  interfere  with  and  frustrate 
all  their  good  intentions,  and  who  would  not  fail  to 
work  any  ill  that  he  could  in  this  case.    As  everything 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


217 


under  ground  was  subject  to  his  will,  the  water  which 
flows  out  of  the  earth  was  within  his  dominion,  even 
the  water  of  the  healing  fountain.  In  order  to  make 
of  no  avail  this  power,  which  worked  mischief  where- 
ever  it  could,  the  fairies  begged  the  king  to  hold  the 
unpretending  copper  tankard  in  high  honour,  and 
never  to  allow  water  to  be  brought  from  the  fountain 
in  any  other  vessel,  for  thus  only  could  the  power  of 
the  subterranean  spirit  be  restrained  and  be  hindered 
from  poisoning  the  water  with  evil  properties,  or  caus- 
ing it  to  overflow  so  as  to  overwhelm  all  that  the 
valley  contained. 

"The  king  promised  faithfully  to  follow  their  direc- 
tions, and  the  fairies  departed,  calling  down  all  manner 
of  blessings  upon  the  heads  of  their  young  charges. 
Then  the  king  had  the  fountain  surrounded  in  the  cost- 
liest manner  by  carved  marble,  and  roofed  in  with 
rosewood,  and  this  gorgeous  building  had  only  one 
little  door,  for  which  the  king  had  a  most  cunning 
lock  contrived,  the  key  of  which  he  carried  in  his 
own  girdle,  never  allowing  any  one  else  to  have  it  for 
a  moment.  As  he  was  not  in  the  least  selfish,  and 
never  grudged  to  any  one  the  use  of  the  healing 
water,  at  certain  hours  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor, 
assembled  in  the  court-yard  of  the  castle,  and  King 
Dagobert  himself  unlocked  the  fountain  and  took  good 
care  that  no  other  vessel  except  the  copper  tankard  was 
used  to  draw  the  water.  In  a  short  time  the  water  had 
done  so  much  good  that  it  excited,  of  course,  the  envy 
of  the  evil  spirit,  who  had  tried  in  many  ways  to  steal 
the  tankard,  or  to  ruin  the  lock  with  which  the  king 
guarded  his  treasure.  Several  times  the  monarch  found, 

19 


218 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


in  the  place  where  the  tankard  was  kept,  two  tankards 
so  precisely  alike  that  he  would  have  had  great  diffi- 
culty in  distinguishing  the  real  from  the  false  one,  if 
the  fairies  had  not  inspired  the  two  princesses  with  a 
never-failing  power  of  detecting  at  a  glance  what  was 
fal^e  and  wrong.  And  sometimes  ambassadors  or  even 
princes  came  from  strange  courts  to  taste  of  the  won- 
derful water  of  which  they  had  heard  so  much,  and 
would  entreat  King  Dagobert  to  allow  them  to  draw  it 
in  their  own  vessels.  But  the  king  remembered  well 
the  caution  which  the  fairies  had  given  him,  and  knew 
that  the  evil  spirit  would  use  every  means  in  his  power 
to  turn  the  gift  to  harm." 

At  these  words  the  knight  stopped  speaking  for  a 
moment,  looked,  sighing,  down  into  the  black  lake, 
and  then  continued,  "But  ah!  careful  and  determined 
as  the  king  was  to  guard  his  precious  possession,  he  was 
overreached  at  last.  There  came  a  day  when  King 
Dagobert  commanded  the  noonday  tables  to  be  spread 
upon  that  island  where  you  found  me,  which  was  then 
only  a  lovely  green  hillock,  rising  gently  from  the 
valley.  It  was  a  glorious  day,  and,  after  the  king,  the 
two  princesses,  and  we — his  train — had  taken  a  ride 
over  the  neighbouring  mountains,  we  dismounted  upon 
that  hill,  where  the  tables  stood  ready.  The  squires, 
with  the  horses  and  dogs,  withdrew  into  the  bushes, 
and  we  seated  ourselves  at  table  amid  heaping  dainties 
and  flowing  wine-cups.  At  the  head  sat  the  king,  with 
the  two  princesses  on  either  side  of  him,  while  behind 
his  chair  were  several  foot-pages  to  fulfil  his  commands. 
The  tankard,  which  he  took  with  him  upon  all  his 
pleasure-excursions,  stood  upon  the  table  before  him. 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


219 


"  Thus  we  sat,  and  the  air  was  so  pure  and  bracing, 
the  day  was  so  beautiful,  that  care  and  sad  thoughts 
vanished  from  every  breast,  and  all  were  cheerful  and 
merry.  Then  I  noticed  that  a  ragged  beggar,  who  had 
walked  around  the  hill  several  times,  ascended  the 
elevation  and  approached  King  Dagobert.  When  he 
reached  the  table,  he  dropped  upon  his  knees  and  en- 
treated the  king  in  the  most  humble  and  moving  man- 
ner to  give  him  a  draught  of  the  wondrous  water.  The 
king,  unwilling  to  rise  from  the  table,  requested  him  to 
come  to  the  castle  at  the  end  of  an  hour.  But  the 
beggar  insisted  that  it  was  only  at  this  moment  that  the 
water  could  do  him  any  good,  as  his  pains  were  just 
now  more  severe  than  ever.  When  the  princesses  saw 
that  the  king  was  loth  to  leave  his  wine-cup,  they  turned 
to  him  and  begged  him  to  trust  them  with  the  tankard 
and  the  key,  and  they  would  go  alone  with  the  beggar 
down  to  the  castle,  and  get  him  a  drink  of  the  water. 
The  two  young  maidens  were  weary  of  sitting  still,  and 
begged  their  father  so  earnestly  that  at  last  he  gave 
them  the  tankard  and  the  key.  He  warned  them  to  be 
very  cautious,  and  they  ran  down  the  hill  towards  the 
castle.  The  beggar  followed.  Not  one  suspicious 
thought  occurred  to  any  one  of  us  sitting  around.  The 
castle  was  quite  near,  and  we  could  follow  the  princesses 
with  our  eyes.  They  went  to  the  fountain,  opened  the 
door,  drew  the  water  in  the  tankard,  and  then  seemed 
to  ask  the  beggar  whether  he  had  no  vessel  in  which 
to  receive  his  draught.  He  shook  his  head,  and,  as  just 
at  this  moment  I  put  my  goblet  to  my  lips,  I  cannot 
tell  whether  the  two  princesses  put  it  themselves  to 
his  mouth,  or  whether  he  snatched  it  from  them.  I 


220 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


only  saw  him  waving  the  tankard  in  the  air  with  a 
shout  of  triumph,  and,  as  he  instantly  sank  into  the 
ground,  we  knew  that  the  evil  spirit  had  overreached 
us.  I  tried  to  rise  from  my  seat,  but  I  could  not.  I 
could  not  even  take  the  goblet  from  my  mouth,  but 
felt  as  though  it  had  grown  fast  to  my  lips.  I  wondered 
that  some  of  the  other  knights  did  not  spring  up  and 
rush  to  the  assistance  of  the  two  princesses,  who  were 
vainly  trying  to  close  the  door  of  the  fountain  against 
the  flood  of  water  that  was  welling  from  it.  But  all 
who  were  sitting  at  the  table  seemed  to  be  spell- 
bound like  myself.  No  sound  escaped  their  lips,  and 
even  the  barking  of  the  dogs,  who  had  been  playing  in 
the  thicket,  ceased  with  a  troubled  whine,  and  every- 
thing around  us  was  still.  A  thick  mist  arose  before 
my  eyes,  but,  although  I  could  see  the  fountain  and  the 
eourt-yard  only  indistinctly  through  it,  I  could  perceive 
fresh  and  mighty  floods  of  water  were  bursting  forth. 
The  princesses  screamed  for  help,  but  no  one  went  to 
their  aid.  Already  the  water  had  flooded  the  whole 
court-yard,  and  was  slowly  ascending  the  walls  and 
turrets.  Soon  nothing  more  was  to  be  seen  of  the  un- 
happy princesses.  The  water  was  half-way  up  the  great 
tower, — then  it  reached  the  roof,  and  then  only  the 
peak  was  visible.  The  next  moment  this  vanished  also, 
and  only  an  ever-widening  circle  on  the  surface  of  the 
water  still  showed  for  a  few  moments  where  a  stately 
castle  had  once  stood. 

"And  we,  meanwhile,  were  paralyzed  not  only  with 
fear,  but  by  the  magic  of  the  enchanter.  Not  only 
could  we  stir  no  limb  for  the  moment,  but  the  blood  in 
our  veins  seemed  to  turn  to  stone, — the  life  within  us 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


221 


grew  cold.  Each  one  remained  in  the  same  position, 
and  even  with  the  same  expression  in  his  face  and 
figure,  as  at  the  fatal  moment  when  the  sorcerer  waved 
the  tankard  triumphantly  in  the  air.  Our  eyes  grew 
dim,  and  all  was  night  before  us.  And  thus  we  sat,  day 
after  day,  night  after  night,  for  weeks  and  months, 
until  hundreds  of  years  have  passed  away." 

This  was  the  knight's  story,  to  which  the  boys  eagerly 
listened.  Darkness  had  now  set  in,  and  they  took 
their  friend  to  the  little  house,  and  told  him  about  the 
two  snakes  who  had  the  evening  before  been  turned 
into  two  lovely  young  girls.  Wolf  spoke  of  the  crowns 
that  they  wore,  and  the  knight  soon  recognized  from 
his  description  the  two  young  princesses,  and  saw  that 
they  must  still  be  under  the  protection  of  the  good 
fairies,  who  had  probably  placed  this  little  cottage  here, 
where  the  two  sisters  could  pass  every  third  night 
together  in  their  natural  shapes. 

The  two  boys  lay  down  upon  the  silken  beds,  and 
their  companion  upon  the  floor,  and  thus  all  three 
slept  until  the  golden  morning  dawned.  Then  they 
awoke  joyfully,  and  the  knight  began  to  consider 
earnestly  how  he  could  bring  about  the  disenchantment 
of  the  castle.  Although  the  day  before,  this  had 
seemed  an  easy  task,  upon  a  closer  view  the  matter 
presented  many  difficulties.  He  was  in  possession  of 
the  magic  vessel  that  could  restrain  the  power  of  the 
evil  spirit,  but  he  could  not  find  out  how  he  was  to 
make  use  of  it  He  knew  of  no  magic  word  or  spell 
whereby  he  could  bind  and  rule  the  black  water. 
The  good  knight  was,  in  truth,  in  no  small  perplexity. 
He  went  to  the  shore  of  the  lake  with  the  two  boys, 
19* 


222 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


and  was  about  to  sail  over  to  the  island  and  attempt  to 
revive  all  who  were  sitting  around  the  table,  when  sud- 
denly it  occurred  to  the  brave  and  faithful  courtier, 
how  much  better  it  would  be  if,  when  his  master  should 
recover  his  consciousness,  he  could  see  his  castle  and 
valley  as  lovely  as  ever  before  him,  freed  from  all  evil 
spells !  And,  although  the  knight  knew  of  no  magic 
word  to  effect  all  this,  it  was  his  duty,  he  thought,  to 
venture  all  for  his  lord  and  master,  be  the  end  what  it 
might.  Occupied  with  these  thoughts,  the  knight 
seated  himself  with  the  two  boys  in  the  little  boat, 
which  immediately  began  its  voyage  across  the  lake. 
When  they  had  reached  the  middle  of  the  black  water, 
the  knight  suddenly  arose,  and  said,  "My  dear  chil- 
dren, sit  still,  and  let  me  make  one  attempt,  whether  it 
succeeds  or  not,  to  deliver  this  valley  from  the  spell 
now  resting  upon  it.  I  will  try,  with  the  help  of  this 
tankard,  to  close  and  lock  the  door  of  the  fountain, 
that  the  water  may  no  longer  gush  forth." 

The  boys  hardly  understood  what  these  words  meant, 
but  uttered  a  loud  scream  of  terror  when  they  saw 
their  friend  spring  into  the  black  lake  and  immediately 
vanish.  Kuno  clasped  his  hands  despairingly,  more  in 
sorrow  for  his  tankard  than  for  the  knight,  and  Wolf 
could  not  help  suspecting  that  this  might  be  another 
bad  spirit,  who  had  thus  robbed  them  of  their  treasure. 
But,  whilst  they  sat  there  and  Kuno  wept  aloud,  they 
heard  beneath  them  the  noise  as  of  a  door  shutting 
violently,  and  a  few  moments  afterwards  the  astonished 
boys  noticed  a  remarkable  change  in  the  lake  around 
them.  It  began  to  be  troubled  and  to  foam  up,  and 
then  they  perceived  that  the  waters  were  diminishing. 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


223 


Black  clouds  overspread  the  heavens,  and  these  clouds 
lowered  over  the  lake,  and  seemed  to  drink  up  the 
water  from  it.  Each  moment  these  clouds  grew  darker 
with  the  black  water  that  they  absorbed,  and,  when 
they  were  quite  full,  they  moved  away  above  the 
mountain-tops  and  gave  place  to  other  thirsty  clouds. 
Thus  the  water  in  the  lake  sank  more  and  more 
rapidly.  Soon,  right  by  the  rocking  skiff,  the  spire  of 
a  tower  appeared  above  the  water,  and  then  the  whole 
roof  of  the  tower  followed.  Upon  this  spire,  and  under 
the  overhanging  roof,  the  boys  noticed,  with  surprise, 
crows,  swallows,  and  other  birds,  who  were  sleeping, 
apparently,  with  their  heads  under  their  wings.  But 
no  sooner  were  they  above  water  than  they  all  woke  up. 
The  ravens  and  crows  flew  high  into  the  air  to  see  what 
was  the  matter,  and  the  swallows  skimmed  above  the 
water  to  procure  gnats  and  other  insects  for  food,  as 
they  had  been  a  long  time  without  any.  Soon  other 
walls  appeared  on  each  side  of  the  boys, —  smaller 
towers,  with  buttresses,  behind  which  stood  men-at- 
arms  leaning  on  their  spears  and  seeming  to  be  asleep. 
But  no  sooner  did  the  fresh  air  play  around  them  in 
place  of  the  stagnant  black  water  of  the  lake,  than  they 
stretched  and  stamped,  and,  yawning  loudly,  gazed 
inquiringly  about  them. 

And  now  the  roof  of  the  castle  itself  appeared  above 
the  surface  of  the  lake,  and,  if  the  boys  had  been  sur- 
prised at  the  awakening  of  the  birds  and  the  squires 
upon  the  towers,  their  admiration  and  wonder  reached 
the  highest  pitch  when  they  saw  how  men  and  animals 
swarmed  about  every  story  as  the  waters  sank.  Here, 


224 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD, 


a  couple  of  stable-boys  were  seen  measuring  out  prov- 
ender in  the  granary,  while  below  maids  were  opening 
all  the  windows  and  doors  to  let  fresh  air  into  the 
king's  apartments.  But  in  the  kitchen  the  bustle  was 
the  greatest  and  most  manifold,  for  just  when  the  spell 
was  laid  upon  them,  three  hundred  years  before,  the 
head-cook  had  been  preparing  the  dessert  for  the 
king's  table,  and  was  disturbed  in  the  midst  of  this 
weighty  affair.  The  scullions  were  running  about, 
arranging  dishes  full  of  pastry,  confectionery,  rare 
fruits,  and  other  costly  refreshments,  while  other  at- 
tendants in  gold-bordered  doublets  took  these  dishes 
to  carry  them  up  the  hill. 

The  skiff,  with  the  boys,  sank  deeper  and  deeper,  till 
the  castle  stood  before  them  just  as  grand  and  stately  as 
the  knight  had  described  it,  and  they  found  themselves 
at  last  floating  upon  what  was  only  a  little  pond.  The 
skiff  was  near  the  shore,  and  the  boys  sprang  out 
into  the  lovely  garden.  They  ran  around  the  castle 
quickly  to  find  the  old  knight,  and,  when  they  entered 
the  court-yard,  saw  him  standing  by  the  fountain,  on 
the  brink  of  which  was  the  tankard.  But  the  two 
princesses  whom  they  had  seen  in  the  little  house  were 
in  his  arms,  and  all  three  were  weeping  for  joy.  The 
boys,  too  shy  to  approach  them,  paused  a  few  steps 
off,  and  were  so  moved  with  all  that  they  had  seen 
that  the  tears  were  rolling  down  their  cheeks  also. 
Suddenly  a  great  uproar  arose  upon  the  hill,  which  a 
little  while  before  had  been  an  island  above  the  surface 
of  the  black  lake.  Hunting-horns  sounded,  horses 
neighed,  and  dogs  bayed.  All  there  awoke  to  life,  and 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


225 


King  Dagobert  arose  at  the  head  of  his  table  and 
called  loudly  to  his  children.  In  the  castle  court-yard 
they  all  dismounted  from  their  horses,  and  there  was 
no  end  to  the  delight  and  joy.  Then  the  old  knight 
told  how  it  was  the  two  boys  who  had  delivered  the 
valley  from  the  spell  under  which  it  had  lain,  and  pre- 
sented them  to  the  king,  who  inquired  about  their 
previous  history,  and,  as  the  famous  race  of  Schrecken- 
berg  was  well  known  to  him,  he  received  with  favour 
the  last  scion  of  that  race,  and  Wolf,  too,  whose  riper 
years  and  courage  had  assisted  not  a  little  in  the  deliv- 
erance of  the  spell-bound  valley. 

And  the  old  joyous  life  began  again  in  the  king's 
castle,  disturbed  by  no  more  evil  spirits.  When  Kuno 
and  Wolf,  after  a  few  years,  had  been  instructed  in 
all  knightly  exercises,  and  had  wandered  through  the 
land,  killing  giants  and  defending  innocent  women  and 
children,  they  came  one  day  to  the  site  of  the  castle 
of  Schreckenberg,  and  there  in  a  miserable  hovel  they 
found  an  old  man  who  had  fought  and  fallen,  but  not 
died,  with  Fritz  of  Schreckenberg.  As  he  knew  of 
the  immense  buried  treasure,  he  had  carefully  preserved 
it,  and  now  handed  it  over  to  the  heir,  who  took  it 
with  him  to  the  court  of  King  Dagobert.  In  the 
course  of  time  the  noble  knights  Kuno  and  Wolf  (for 
the  latter  received  knighthood  from  King  Dagobert 
himself)  won  the  love  of  the  two  princesses,  so  that 
their  royal  father  could  not  refuse  his  consent  to  this 
double  marriage. 

The  old  man  told  how  his  master,  Fritz  of  Schreck- 
enberg, had  brought  home  the  tankard  from  one  of 

p 


226 


THE  FAIRY  TANKARD. 


his  marauding  excursions.  But,  as  it  presented  so 
mean  an  appearance,  it  was  thrown  aside  in  the  lum- 
ber-room and  forgotten. 

King  Dagobert  recognized,  in  the  dream  which  had 
made  such  an  impression  upon  the  dying  countess,  the 
influence  of  the  beneficent  fairy,  who  had  ordered  all 
events  for  good. 


